The tournament was already over for India. They had lost every single game. Manpreet was just 20 years old. He could have sat out the remaining 65 minutes and nobody would have said a word.

Instead, he came back for the second half with a large bandage around his head.

Nobody asked him to come back. He just did.

Thirteen years later, he stands one cap away from becoming India’s most capped player of all time. He has 411 international appearances, one short of Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey’s record of 412. The European leg of the FIH Pro League is where that record could fall. Thirteen years defined by running India’s midfield, supporting the attack, anchoring the defence, and never once stopping. Serious on the pitch, a prankster off it. Selfless when it mattered most. Still going.

The Korean from Mithapur

The nickname Korean was given to him by former India defender Jugraj Singh, who spotted Manpreet as a child playing village matches in Jalandhar. Similar to Korean players, Manpreet had quick feet, sharp movement, and a lightness to how he carried himself on the pitch. The name stuck.

Years later, when Jugraj recommended him to then India coach Harendra Singh for the national camp, he said simply: “That Korean kid has something about him.”

The nickname turned out to be more accurate than Jugraj perhaps intended. Korean culture is built on collectivism, on putting the needs of the group above personal desire, on loyalty that runs deeper than convenience. Those who have watched Manpreet would say that description fits him as well as any label ever has.

Manpreet’s first real inspiration was Pargat Singh, the former India captain who led the side at the Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Pargat was a defender who carried the ball forward like a midfielder, covering the full length of the field and refusing to be confined to one role. Manpreet would build his career in much the same way.

He broke into the national team as a left half before eventually inheriting the central midfield role from Sardar Singh. For the next decade he became the engine of India’s midfield, linking defence and attack while covering every blade of grass in between. When India needed control, Manpreet provided it. When India needed intensity, he brought it. And when India needed someone to carry the ball through pressure, he was often the first option.

Read More: What do we know about Hockey India League Season 3?

Character First

The Sultan Azlan Shah Cup is not the Olympics. It is not the World Cup. In the grand scheme of a hockey career, it is a preparatory tournament. Nobody would have questioned Manpreet Singh had he chosen to stay home after his father passed away during the 2016 edition in Ipoh.

He came back anyway.

After rushing home to Jalandhar for the funeral, he flew straight back to Malaysia, mid-tournament.

He didn’t return for a medal or a record; he returned for his teammates, the jersey, and a quiet, lifelong obligation to the group. Within four minutes of stepping back onto the pitch against Pakistan, he scored.

He has never made it a story about himself. That moment, like so many others in his career, belongs to the team in his mind. Not to him.

It was the same impulse that had driven him back onto the field in London with a bandage around his head. Not because anyone asked. Not because the result mattered. But because leaving the field early was simply not something he was built to do.

Faced with injury, he came back. Faced with personal loss, he came back. Whenever Indian hockey needed him, he came back.

Read More: India Beat Japan; Win Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2026

The Captain Who Ended 41 Years of Waiting

When Manpreet was appointed captain in 2017, Indian hockey was searching for consistency. There had been flashes of progress. There had been memorable victories. But one statistic still hung over the team. India had not won an Olympic medal since Moscow 1980.

At the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Manpreet Singh carried the Indian flag. The last hockey player to have done so was Pargat Singh at Atlanta 1996. The same man who had inspired a young boy from Mithapur to pick up a stick. Twenty-five years later, his student walked in his footsteps.

India won bronze. For the first time in 41 years, India stood on the Olympic podium again. Manpreet was the captain.

In 2019, he had become the first Indian to win the FIH Player of the Year award since it was introduced in 1999. He dedicated it to his late father.

Selfless to the End

Elite sport moves quickly. New coaches arrive. The systems emerge. New players challenge for places. Few athletes survive long enough to experience multiple cycles. Fewer still remain important throughout them.

As Hardik Singh developed into one of the world’s best midfielders, Manpreet did not resist. He stepped back from the captaincy, shifted his role, and found another way to contribute. Not every senior player can do that. Most either fight for what they had or quietly disappear. Manpreet did neither. He simply found a new way to be useful.

At Paris 2024, India faced Great Britain with ten men after Amit Rohidas received a red card. The game stopped. The team huddled. Manpreet Singh, no longer captain, no longer the central midfielder, stood up and spoke. In Punjabi. Loud enough for everyone to hear. The message was simple. Nobody lets the ball into the D. Nobody drops their guard. Not now.

India held on, and beat Great Britain in penalty shootouts.

That is Manpreet Singh. Not the most capped player yet. Not the captain anymore. But still the one the team turns to when it matters.

Read More: Indian tadka in Australia’s Hockey One League

Manpreet Singh Career Honours

The Record

Dilip Tirkey’s record has stood for years. The former defender represented India 412 times across an era when international hockey looked very different from today.

Now Manpreet is about to join him. The next match will bring him level. The one after that will likely see him stand alone.

The willingness to play through pain in London. Returning to the team after losing his father. Leading India to an Olympic medal after a 41-year wait. Accepting new roles when younger players emerged. Showing up, year after year, whenever India needed him.

That is what 413 caps will mean.

The boy who came back with a bandage around his head in London 2012 has no intention of stopping.

Indian hockey is heading into its biggest summer in years. Nations Cup. World Cup. Asian Games. Manpreet Singh could make history before it even starts. Subscribe to the Give Me Hockey newsletter and follow every step of it.

<p>The post 411 Caps and Still Going: The Manpreet Singh Story first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>

Category: News | Date: 20 April 2026

Indian hockey is about to get very busy. The World Cup is in August. The Asian Games follow in September. Direct Olympic qualification for LA 2028 is on the line in Japan. The European Pro League leg sits in between. Three major events in roughly three months, with almost no room for error.

Hockey India has named a 36-member core probable group for the Senior Men’s National Coaching Camp. The camp runs at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru from April 20 to May 9, 2026. Coach Craig Fulton will use it to assess his options and build combinations before the World Cup squad announcement. The debate around sending one squad or two for the World Cup and Asian Games remains unresolved. Every player in this camp is making their case regardless of how that question gets answered.

Read More: FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Schedule: Full Fixtures, Groups and India Match Dates

The Returns That Matter

The most significant aspect of this squad is who is back. Manpreet Singh and Krishan Bahadur Pathak are both in. Hockey India dropped all three earlier this year after a disciplinary incident during India’s South Africa tour in December 2025. The federation never formally explained the nature of the incident, but team sources confirmed it was disciplinary.

Manpreet’s return matters most. He has 411 international caps, one short of Dilip Tirkey’s national record of 412. He captained India through some of their best years and played a central role in both Olympic bronze medals at Tokyo and Paris. India’s midfield has managed without him this year. It has not been the same. Hardik Singh carries the load but needs a partner who reads the game at that level. Manpreet is still that player. With the World Cup two months away, bringing him back is the right call.

Read More: India’s Big Call: Chase World Cup Glory or Secure Olympic Qualification?

The Squad

Goalkeepers

Five goalkeepers are named for the camp. Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera, and Pawan bring senior experience. Mohith Honnenahalli Shashikumar and Princedeep Singh are the younger options Fulton wants to look at.

Defenders

Harmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas anchor the defence. Jarmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, and Sumit provide the established cover. Poovanna Chandura Boby, Yashdeep Siwach, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, and Amandeep Lakra give Fulton younger options to test.

Midfielders

Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad lead the midfield. Nilakanta Sharma and Raj Kumar Pal add further options. Rajinder Singh, Manmeet Singh, Moirangthem Rabichandra Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, and Rosan Kujur complete a competitive group.

Forwards

Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Abhishek, and Sukhjeet Singh are the senior forwards. Shilanand Lakra, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Angad Bir Singh, Uttam Singh, Selvam Karthi, Aditya Arjun Lalage, and Maninder Singh give Fulton a wide pool to choose from.

What the Camp Is For

The camp runs until May 9. Fulton has a wide pool to work with before the European Pro League leg begins. The World Cup squad announcement follows after that. How India manage the next four months, selection, fitness, and the one squad versus two debate, will define how ready they are when it counts.

Source: Hockey India official announcement, 20 April 2026.

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<p>The post Manpreet Singh Returns in Hockey India’s 36-Member World Cup Camp first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>

When is Hockey India League resuming?

To answer this important question, we need to dig into the past and understand why HIL was cancelled.

Official Reason: In 2018, the chairman of Hockey India League Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad spoke to the media and said that the tournament will not be played that year. However, the tournament will come back next year with a fresh outlook that will help benefit the game. HIL chairman also spoke about the scheduling issue with the tournament. In the year 2018, World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games were scheduled.

Hockey India League chairman also hinted at another reason the league was getting cancelled for 2018- finances. The franchisees were struggling financially to support the teams.

Let us look in detail at the reasons for the cancellation of the Hockey India League

TEAM FINANCES

Dabur Mumbai Magicians was the first team to withdraw from Hockey India League in 2014. Ranchi Rhinos owned by Patel-Uniexcel Group followed Mumbai in withdrawing from the league in the same season. The reason- incurring heavy losses by running the franchisee.

Sahara and Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s replaced the Ranchi franchisee while DoIT Sports management picked up the Mumbai franchisee. Despite replacing, things were not too rosy for the league.

It was not just Ranchi Rhinos and Mumbai Magicians that were suffering. This was the state of all the teams that were participating in the Hockey India League. The spokesperson for Punjab Warriors said they were losing more than Rs. 10 crores a year ($1.2 million). While the spokesperson for Ranchi Rhinos said the losses incurred for a year amounted to Rs. 10 to Rs.15 crores ($1.2 million to $1.8 million).

With teams losing support and no support from Hockey India, it was getting exceedingly difficult to run the franchisees.

Also, news articles in 2017 spoke about how few players were not getting paid by their respective franchisees.

HOCKEY INDIA

While finances were hurting the teams, the attitude of Hockey India too was not helping the franchisees. One Ranchi Rhinos official spoke to the media about the lethargic approach of the federation- ‘We requested several times to the authority to change its format and encourage franchises. But our suggestions weren’t heeded’ he said.

HIL turned out great for the players and their finances but for the owners, there were heavy losses. Suresh Kumar Chauhan of Ranchi Rhinos before pulling the team out of the league said, ‘Taking stock of last two seasons and seeing not much has changed by the structured marketing of hockey league, unlike other leagues recently introduced which are much more congenial to the franchisee profitability, there doesn’t seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel.’

While Ranchi and Mumbai pulled out, the rest of the teams continued to struggle. A Hockey India official on condition of anonymity in 2018 spoke to PTI and said, ‘We don’t know what is in store for the future. But some franchises were unhappy with the organizers.’

The teams were also promised compensation from Hockey India 2017 to manage their losses, but the amount however was peanuts compared to the losses.

Similar thoughts were also echoed by the officials of Punjab Warriors when the league was cancelled.

SCHEDULE

The schedule was also given as one of the reasons by league officials for the inability to conduct the league. The year 2018 had World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. This did not give the league officials enough time to hold the competition. League officials were right about the schedule issues. Looking back at the 2018 hockey calendar, there just wasn’t any time to hold the league.

The European club competition also affected the league. Foreign players were the stars of the Hockey India League. Out of five seasons played, foreign players were named players of the tournament three times. Missing good foreign players due to schedule clashes also affected the league.

TEAM STATUS

Delhi WaveRiders: Owned by Wave Group Delhi WaveRiders left the league in 2017. Post the death of the Wave group chairman, the group was not interested in running the team. Status: The team has folded.

Ranchi Rays and Uttar Pradesh Wizards: Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the face of Ranchi Rays; it was Sahara who backed the team. Sahara Group also owned another Hockey India League team- Uttar Pradesh Wizards. While Delhi folded, Sahara only wanted to run one team. Today, Sahara is under huge financial problems. It is unlikely that we would see any of these two teams in the Hockey India League again. Status: Unlikely to continue

Jaypee Punjab Warriors: Like other teams, Jaypee Punjab Warriors too faced also faced financial challenges running the team. In one news article, Punjab Warriors officials mentioned that the team was losing Rs. Ten crores ($1.2 million) annually. Also, there was no support function for the teams from Hockey India. Owners of Punjab Warriors also expressed their inability to continue with the league. Status: Unlikely to continue

Kalinga Lancers: Kalinga Lancers are the only team that would have no problem being part of the Hockey India League again. The franchisee, Kalinga Lancers are owned by Odisha IIDC and Mahanadi Coalfields Limited, a public sector unit. Odisha Government is also the principal sponsor of Hockey India, Lancers will have no problem being part of the league. Status: They will continue

Dabang Mumbai: Like Kalinga Lancers, Dabang Mumbai is also in better condition to play when compared to the above teams. DoIT Sports Management also has a team in Pro Kabaddi League and the team is doing well there. However, do they have the appetite to continue with the league that was making losses? It remains to be seen. Status: Unsure, but could continue

FUTURE

SCHEDULE

Talking about the future of the tournament, we need to first see the dates available for the tournament. While the 2018 season was cancelled due to the unavailability of a window, things are not so different today.

The international hockey calendar today is a mess. Pro League, the premier hockey tournament of FIH runs for 4 months a year. Also, FIH has introduced a Nations Cup for teams that are not part of the Pro League. Then we have the European domestic club competition which foreign players want to be part of while EHL is today the biggest club competition of all. Australian players who formed the crux of most Hockey India League teams also have their domestic league Hockey One.

Looking at the current schedule, it is going to be extremely difficult to carve out a special window for Hockey India League. European Hockey is already at loggerheads with FIH. FIH Pro League taking away space from European domestic competition, they would not want Hockey India League to affect their competition. If something must be given, it will be the international calendar. Will FIH agree to it?

FORMAT

Another point that we need to understand is the future format. Hockey India said that the league will come back in the year 2019 with a five-a-side format. The franchisees will have both men’s and women’s teams and there will be three competitions- men, women and mixed. Hockey India in 2018 also said, four of the six franchises, were Okay with this format. However, since then we have not heard anything about this.

Also, there are many questions about the format proposed by Hockey India. Starting with what happens to 11 a side game which is currently the heart of the sport. Will we see the likes of Manpreet and Sreejesh in a five-a-side game and then also in 11-a-side? The second question is on the development of players. The camp that is set up by Hockey India consists of 60 players and later they are trimmed. Also, the camp does not include all the junior team players. If we have 6 franchises with ten players each, making it 60 players, what happens to the development of the junior players? Remember, the development of junior players was a key reason for Hockey India League.

What happens then to the foreign players? Would foreign players want to be part of this league? If yes, Indian players already take the required sixty spots, where will they play?

BATRA EFFECT

Former FIH president, Narinder Batra in an interview in 2021 said that the league will be resuming in 2022 or 2023. He said, ‘We are confident of starting Hockey India League by 2022 or 2023. Market sentiments are also down due to Covid-19. The league can only resume when team buyers have the money.’

Post-Covid, the business has changed. Investors or franchisee owners today will think twice before putting money into a league. Especially, when the league has given no return to the franchise owners in the past. Yes, there is the effect Olympics bronze medal, but has that improved the marketability of hockey players? The answer is not so clear. There have been few sponsorships for the players but not at a scale that can be used by franchisees and earn benefits out of it.

With teams just making losses with Hockey India and in their core business, it is unlikely that those teams will continue to fund teams and not see anything in return. Apart from Narinder Batra setting up the league, he also got the title sponsorship. The sponsorships from Hero and then Coal India as title sponsorship were his work. With Batra no longer associated with hockey anymore (officially), can Hockey India even get some sponsors to run the event?

Hockey India also has troubles of its own. The game is currently being run by CoA and the focus is completely on hosting the World Cup. With the focus on the World Cup, it is unlikely that the tournament will be conducted in 2023. Pro League and upcoming Olympics in 2024, there is no point in even holding a five-a-side competition. No player, Indian or foreign, will gain anything from five-a-side competition.

Model Sustainability

Another question that is making rounds on social media is- Is the HIL model sustainable?

The answer is yes, it is. We have proof of that- the Indian Premier League (cricket), Indian Super League (Football) and Pro Kabaddi League (Kabaddi) are prime examples of the model working.

However, the key difference between all these leagues and Hockey India League is governance. Governance plays a key role when it comes to running any professional league. IPL, ISL and PKL have all professionals running the league while it was the federation that ran Hockey India League.

HIL franchisees were not happy with the way the league was run. There was no support for the teams from the HIL board, and their grievances were not heard. Indian hockey for long has been known for its archaic way of functioning. My or the highway does not work when you have a franchisee model. Investors must be heard, and their issues must be resolved.

Another difference between these other leagues and Hockey India League is marketing. HIL’s marketing despite having big names as owners like John Abraham, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina was abysmal.

IPL, ISL and PKL all made wonderful use of the star power and ensured the league was received well by the audience. Indian Super League published a full-page advertisement in the newspaper to attract people to the game. The franchisees used people’s emotions about their states or cities and garnered support. This factor of belongingness was missing in Hockey India League. Apart from Kalinga Lancers, no one was able to use fans’ emotions and garner support for the team.

CONCLUSION

Looking at the above bleak situation of franchisee owners, change in format to five-a-side, and scheduling woes, it is difficult to conduct a tournament on such a scale. I would not be surprised if we do not see Hockey India League back for the next few years.

Whenever Hockey India League makes a comeback, it must focus on governance and marketing of the game, teams, and players. Then and only then will the league succeed.

(Notes:

1.Model sustainability point has been added to the post as an update to a few points or questions that were put forward on social media.

2. INR to USD was incorrectly converted to 12 million instead of 1.2 million)

<p>The post Hockey India League- The Past, and The Expected Future first appeared on Give Me Hockey.</p>