Mission World Cup: Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh on recent Asia Cup win, aiming for the World Cup and more

Huddled together in bright pink and blue jerseys, members of the India mens hockey team cheered and laughed, giving their two cents on what move to make next. This was no hockey match or training sesh, but a chess master class conducted by former International chess player and co-owner of American Gambits Prachura P Padakannaya at the Sports Authority of Indias complex in Malathahalli. As we take a brisk walk from the conference room to the complexs mess, captain Harmanpreet Singh shares a fond memory of playing chess with his wife, Amandeep Kaur, even though, in his words, they were quite bad. They dont get to play much anymore as Singh explains with a laugh, My daughter doesnt let us play. She picks pieces up and throws them away to disturb us. Singh and the team are in Bengaluru fresh off their Asia Cup win against South Korea last month, preparing for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, scheduled for November in Malaysia. The win came after an eight-year Asia Cup drought for the team with the pressure to perform tangible. Recalling what facing the South Korean team at such a crucial juncture was like, the captain says, Our league match against Korea was a draw because even though we knew were the best team in Asia, everything can change depending on the situation. But we knew we could do better and in the last match, whatever opportunities we had, we turned them into goals. Right now, the team is working on weak areas that the Asia Cup matches shone a light on, as Singh explains, We were struggling in the Asia Cup league matches. We are learning from those mistakes and working on improving the defense. India hockey team members celebrating their win against South Korea at the Asia Cup in Bihar As captain, Singh has been credited with ushering in a new era for the team. Fondly called sarpanch sahab by fans, Singh has captained the team to wins in the 2022 Asian Games, a bronze in the 2024 Olympics, and now the Asia Cup. His style of captaincy seems to be a mix of genuine care and tough love. You have to look after your teammates if theyre fit enough or if theyre struggling with something. And of course before or during the match, the words you say to your teammates matter a lot. Im also a little aggressive because its important to motivate the team. Small things like team bonding outside of matches also matters, and the coach and I are always thinking of ways to improve it, he explains. He doesnt let defeat get him down either, replying with a brief Dont overthink it, when asked how he deals with disappointment. He adds, Whats in the past is in the past. If were not doing well I analyse things and think about how we can improve. But if mistakes are happening, I dont overthink them during the match. On a personal front, 2025 has been a happening year for Singh, who received the Khel Ratna earlier this year. Immediately after I got the news, I spoke to my wife and teammates. They were happy. It was a proud moment for me and my family, he says with a smile. But his next goal, both personally and professionally is the hockey world cup happening next year. He says, Its been 50 years [since India won] so our aim is to make sure we are ready on the field.