Date of birth
26 June 1992
Age
30
Nationality
India
Career start
2011
Discipline
Field hockey
Manpreet Singh is one of India’s best field hockey players and the captain of the Indian men’s hockey team.
Born to a farming family in rural Punjab, Manpreet took to playing hockey when he was nine years old. The opportunity to win trophies is what attracted him to the sport, and he has gone on to achieve those targets since making his national team debut in 2011.
His first big tournament was when he represented India at the 2012 Games in London. He captained the junior national team at the 2013 Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup and again at the 2013 Sultan of Johor Cup, where he won his first gold medal.
He went on to win gold medals with the national team at the 2014 Asian Games and the 2016 Asian Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy. He played in his second Games when he represented India at Rio in 2016.
In 2017, he was named the captain of the India national hockey team and went on to lead the team to gold at the 2017 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup. Later in the year, he captained India to bronze at the Hockey World League Final.
Under his captaincy, India has also won bronze at the 2018 Asian Games, silver at the 2018 Champions Trophy, and gold at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy.
In 2018, he was given the Arjuna Award, the highest honour bestowed given to a sportsperson by the Indian government.
In 2019, he was named the best men’s player at the FIH Player of the Year Awards.
At Tokyo 2020, he led India to a bronze medal, ending a wait of 41 years for an Olympic medla in hockey. Later in 2021, he was awarded the Khel Ratna, the highest honour given to sportspersons in India.
26 June 1992
30
India
2011
Field hockey