Hardik Singh
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Khusropur, Punjab, India[1]
 Singh in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Hardik Singh Rai | ||
| Born |
23 September 1998 Khusropur, Punjab, India[1] | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Indian Oil Corporation | ||
| Senior career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| – | Petroleum Sports Promotion Board | ||
| – | Indian Oil Corporation | ||
| National team | |||
| Years | Team | Caps | Goals |
| 2014 | India U21 | 4 | (0) |
| 2018– | India | 174 | (12) |
Hardik Singh (born 23 September 1998) is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for the Indian national team.[3]
Singh's father was Varinderpreet Singh Rai, who works as a police officer, played for India. His grandfather Preetam Singh Rai was a hockey coach with the Indian Navy.[4] Hardik played hockey as a youngster in his village Khusropur under the tutelage of his grandfather. Like his uncles Gurmail Singh and Jugraj Singh, both former internationals, Hardik began playing as a defender in the wings. He took up hockey seriously in 2012 and joined the Punjab Institute of Sports Academy in Mohali before moving to Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar.[5]
Hardik's aunt Rajbir Kaur also played internationally for India while her husband Gurmail Singh was a part of gold-medal-winning Indian team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics[6] Hardik is a fifth-generation hockey player in the family.[7] He regards his uncle Jugraj Singh as his mentor,[1] and credits him for persuading Hardik to stay back when he decided to move to the Netherlands after opportunities in India seemed to dry up for him as an 18-year-old.[citation needed]
