Bengaluru: In times of crises, a team needs a dependable figurehead who rises high above the rest to drag the side out of the mire. Mandeep Singh, India’s top-scorer at the recently concluded Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2017, is quickly filling into the required mould and hopes to propel the Men in Blue forward at the start of a new Olympic cycle.
His incredible hat-trick to edge out a mercurial Japanese side 4-3 and salvage the chance to break through to the tournament final in Ipoh was an illustration of why head coach Roelant Oltmans has high hopes for the 22-year-old striker.
One must always find time to introspect about moments past ahead of future challenges. And Mandeep didn’t have to scour for positives after India’s bronze medal at Ipoh, despite finishing runners-up in the tournament’s 2016 edition.
“I would have to say that this tournament in Malaysia has gone exceptionally well for us. It hasn’t been a step down for us if you ask me. There was the match against the hosts (1-0 loss to Malaysia) where things didn’t quite go our way. We had plenty of penalty corners against them and played well, but it wasn’t to be,” quipped the forward from Jalandhar.
And for those pouring scorn over the 3-1 loss to Australia, Mandeep had this to say. “I don’t believe it’s a matter of a psychological barrier when we play against Australia. We have beaten them before. We win some and lose some, and hope to overcome them when we face Australia next.”
Joint top-scorer
The 22-year-old Mandeep finished joint-top with Australians Tom Craig and Trent Milton on the scoring charts, sounding the boards five times and was involved in more than half of India’s tournament goals. Acting as the team’s first line of defense on the counter with a tireless press, Mandeep attributes his success to superior positioning in both boxes.
These are the facets that Germany and Belgium will be wary of when they face India in the Three-Nation invitational tournament from June 1. The 2016 Junior World Cup winner wants to make the best of the opportunity. “This tournament is very important because we’re getting practice matches before the World Hockey League (WHL) semifinals.”
Despite already qualifying as hosts for the WHL final later this year, Mandeep insists that the WHL semifinals represent a massive challenge for the No. 6 side in the world. “Look, we can’t afford to relax because there are a number of good teams that will feature in the finals as well. We have to give our 100% and hope to finish within the top two, so we can bring a medal back home,” he surmised.
