Hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh credits former drag-flicker and uncle Jugraj for shaping his career

If it was not for a timely advise from his uncle and former India drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, men’s team vice captain Hardik Singh would have shifted to the Netherlands back in 2017 when he was striving hard to kick open the door of national camp for himself without success.

Hardik, a star midfielder from Khusropur village near Jalandhar in Punjab, says he was on the verge of giving up on his dream of playing for India if his maternal uncle Jugraj had not motivated him to stay focused.

“I progressed from the sub-junior level to the senior level at a good pace after I joined the Mohali Hockey Academy as a 14-year-old. But after a few years, I found myself in a situation where I had lost confidence after being ignored for the national camp.

“At that time, way back in 2017, I thought of shifting base to the Netherlands to play club hockey there. I gave up hope of representing India. If he (Jugraj) had not guided me at that time, I wouldn’t be here now. When you are doing well, you need good guidance,” Hardik told PTI in an exclusive chat.

“He advised me to explore hockey in the country more and improve my game. That time I was 18-19 year old. So I thought let me give me some more time and explore my hockey in India,” he added.

“He (Jugraj) told me you have age on your side. You have the game, you can shine even by staying back in India. Play for domestic teams and show your skills so that people can know about you,” he said.

“If not for his guidance I wouldn’t have been here today because I didn’t have so much patience.” Hardik’s decision to stay back yielded desired results as he went on to become the mainstay in the Indian team’s midfield and was also a part of the Tokyo Olympics bronze medal-winning squad besides being a member of the Hangzhou Asian Games gold medal-winning side.