Inspired by Virat Kohli, India’s Manpreet Singh is redefining longevity in hockey

At 33, Manpreet Singh is an anomaly in Indian hockey. More often than not, players over the age of 30 are slowly shown. Unless you are as talented as Sardar Singh or as indispensable in your role as PR Sreejesh was, one poor performance can make all the difference.

However, for Manpreet, it has always been about re-emerging and being ready to play whatever role the team needs. Since his Olympic debut in 2012, the midfielder has taken on various responsibilities, even describing himself as the ‘aloo’ in every curry, fitting in seamlessly and enhancing the flavour.

He started out as an attacking midfielder and in recent years has worked his way up to become the orchestra conductor of the Indian team. Manpreet was everywhere and did everything the team asked him to do, be it starting the counter attack, trailing in defense or contributing during penalty corners. Manpreet becomes India’s most capped player (Courtesy: Hockey India)

Perhaps that is why he has lasted so long in one of the most grueling sports, becoming India’s most capped player in the process. During India’s Pro League win over Germany, Manpreet once again proved to be a vital member of the team as India beat the world champions 3-1.

Underlying this longevity, however, was a remarkable physical transformation. Unsatisfied with his fitness level after the Paris Olympics, Manpreet decided to reinvent himself, pushing his body to new limits and challenging his younger teammates.

His renewed confidence even prompted him to put down a light-hearted challenge to Virat Kohli, who is widely regarded as the benchmark for fitness in Indian sport. After Kohli praised the Indian hockey team’s fitness standards, Manpreet he responded by inviting the star batsman to train with the national side.

So has Kohli responded yet?

MODELING AROUND KOHLI

Not really, according to Manpreet. The veteran batsman clarified that the call was made in jest, though it reflected his immense admiration for Kohli’s dedication to fitness.

“First of all, Paaji, nothing like this has happened to him before. But it was definitely just for fun because everyone knows Virat is a fitness freak. He always stays fit.

“He is an idol for every athlete. Everyone learns from him how to stay fit. I think he is 36 years old now and he has maintained his fitness very well,” Manpreet told India Today during a virtual interaction.

Manpreet has long modeled himself after Kohli’s fitness mantra, drawing inspiration from the cricket superstar’s discipline and commitment to excellence. It also helps that the two share a common sporting idol in Cristiano Ronaldo.

“And I’m definitely learning a lot from him too because the way he stays aggressive on the ground, stays focused and gives his hundred percent. He’s also a Ronaldo fan, I’m a Ronaldo fan too, so we both follow the same things. He’s very inspirational to everyone and I learn a lot from him as well,” Manpreet said.

FITNESS ABOVE LA 28 DREAM

The past few months have been tough for Manpreet. After resting, the veteran found himself offside, amid reports of indiscipline.

Then came the news that Hockey India is preventing him from surpassing current president Dilip Tirkey’s record for most starts, again putting his future in the national team in doubt.

Still, even amid the speculation, Manpreet remained steadfast in his approach. While others debated his future, he focused his attention on one factor he believes will ultimately determine whether he makes it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: fitness.

“The last couple of months have been pretty eventful. A lot has happened, a lot of people have been asking what will happen and what won’t. But all this time I’ve just been focused on keeping my fitness up.”

“That was my first priority. I always say LA (Los Angeles Olympics) is my goal, but before that I have to stay fit. That’s the most important thing for me. If I want to play for a long time, my fitness has to stay at a high level. Otherwise, I wouldn’t want to continue playing either.

“I don’t want to be picked in the team just because of my reputation and unfit at the same time. I want my fitness level to remain better than the younger players as well. That’s the only way I deserve to stay in the team. That’s my personal belief,” said Manpreet.

This mindset perhaps explains why Manpreet continues to defy convention in Indian hockey. For him, longevity is not about reputation, past achievements or records. It’s about earning your place every day. As long as he can match, and even surpass, the younger generation in fitness, the dream of one final Olympic appearance remains very much alive. Manpreet lays stress on fitness during LA Olympics preparations (Courtesy: Hockey India)

Recently, Manpreet revealed that he assessed his future ahead of the World Cup and Asian Games before deciding to go ahead, with the Los Angeles Olympics firmly in his sights.

But the veteran midfielder insisted he would not hesitate to retire from the sport if he felt he could no longer meet the physical demands of international hockey.

“Even though there was all this discussion and speculation, my view was that I would first see how I was going to the Asian Games. If I stayed fit, I would continue to play. Recently, all the fitness tests we have done have gone very well and my results have been excellent. That’s when I decided that yes, I can continue.”

“But even now it remains true: if I feel like I can’t maintain my fitness for the Asian Games or even next year, I can think things through beforehand. But LA is definitely my target now. Before that, it’s all about improving my fitness step by step. We have the World Cup, the Asian Games, then the tournaments next year and finally LA,” Manpreet told India Today.

But the ambitions remain as strong as ever. Manpreet believes age is just a number and points to Belgian greats John-John Dohmen and Tom Boon as proof that elite players can continue to perform at the highest level well into their thirties.

“If I talk about the future, there’s John-John Dohmen from Belgium. He’s the busiest hockey player in the world. I think he was around 36 or 37 when he played his last Olympics recently.

“So age is just a number. What’s really important is how well you stay in shape. I spoke to Tom Boone recently. He’s 36 and his goal is to play until the Olympics in LA as well.”

“If someone who’s 36 can head to LA, I’m only 33. So I don’t think being 35 or 36 is a big deal. It all depends on how well you take care of your body and keep fit,” he said.

For Manpreet, the journey to Los Angeles will not be defined by age, milestones or reputation. It will be determined by the same principle that has sustained him throughout a career spanning more than a decade: fitness. As long as his body responds and his performances justify his place, India’s most played player sees no reason why he should stop chasing his latest Olympic dream.

– The end

Published on:

19 Jun 2026 09:06 IST