India Hockey Players Elated After Reaching Home For Break Post 3 Months Of Lockdown

The Indian Men's Team Forward Mandeep Singh said he is fortunate to have this opportunity but wants to maintain his routine to ensure top performances once he is back to playing competitive hockey in the future.

New Delhi, 22 June 2020: The Indian Senior Men's and Women's Hockey Core Probables were finally able to reconnect with their families and loved ones as on Friday they were allowed to return to their respective homes for a month-long break. The hockey players were allowed only last week to return homes after spending almost three months at the Sports Authority of India Campus in Bengaluru due to coronavirus-induced lockdown in India. The Indian Men's Hockey Team Captain Manpreet Singh seemed delighted at the opportunity of not just meeting his mother and brother, but also his two pet dogs. "It was such a great feeling to have returned home to my mother, brother and my two dogs, Sam and Rio. Even though I was in constant touch over video calls, I was really looking forward to being back home, and all I can say is that it felt so good to be back home - it just gave me goosebumps," said Manpreet who returned to his home in Jalandhar. Meanwhile, the Indian Women's Hockey Team's Captain Rani also returned to Shahbad, Haryana and could not hide her happiness. "I know a lot of people had been craving to travel or to eat outside, but the only thing I had been craving during lockdown was meeting my family. I am so happy that I am finally here and can spend some days with them. I am, of course, very thankful to Hockey India and SAI for having taken great care of us, and now my focus will be on maintaining my fitness even at home and making sure I spend my time with my loved ones," said the 25-year-old. The Indian Men's Team Forward Mandeep Singh said he is fortunate to have this opportunity but wants to maintain his routine to ensure top performances once he is back to playing competitive hockey in the future. "When I stepped inside the house, the energy I felt was just out of this world. I returned after such a long time so it was nice to meet my family and to spend time with them. However, I speak on behalf of all the players when I say that one thing we will not forget is to maintain our fitness and routine during this break. We know it is imperative to remain in top shape, and we will be focused on that, and I am sure we will be helped by our families and friends as well," he said. Neha Goyal, Indian Women's Hockey Team's Midfielder, also expressed her excitement at coming back to meet her mother in Sonipat. "During the early part of lockdown, my sister had come down to stay with my mother, but once the restrictions eased a bit, she had to return to her in-laws. When I came back and presented my mother with my 'Hockey India Ajit Pal Singh Award for Midfielder of the Year 2019' trophy, the happiness on her face was what I had missed seeing for the past three months. So I am really happy to be back with her, and I am looking forward to helping her in daily chores as well. Of course, we need to maintain our fitness schedules, and I will be focusing on that too along with spending some quality time with my mother," said the 23-year-old. About HOCKEY INDIA HOCKEY INDIA (HI) is the governing body with an exclusive mandate to direct and conduct all activities for both men and women's hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting Hockey in India. Headquartered in New Delhi, Hockey India was established on 20th May 2009 and is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Asian Hockey Federation (AHF). Committed to the development of Hockey in the country, Hockey India with the assistance of Sports Authority of India and Department of Sports, Government of India, trains players at sub-junior, junior and senior level. The governing body engages in Coaching the coaches with International Standard certification programs, educates and equips technical officials and umpires to find a foothold in the international arena, provides world-class infrastructure and International exposure for the players besides the regular international competition. Hockey India has also pioneered in bringing top International hockey events to India such as the FIH Men's World Cup in 2010 and 2018, FIH Champions Trophy in 2014, FIH Junior Men's World Cup in 2016, FIH Hockey World League Final in 2017. With its vision to popularize the game and constantly promote it, Hockey India is dedicated to getting our national team(both men and women) into the top three in the world. ALSO WATCH: Amid India-China tensions, IPL mulls terminating Vivo contract