14-year-old Navneet Singh and his 10-year-old brother Avneet Singh, sons of a driver from Mithapur, can hardly contain their excitement these days. The brothers have been talking constantly about their idol, hockey star Manpreet Singh, who has become India’s most-capped hockey player, completing 413 international matches.
The mood in Mithapur, which nurtured one of India’s finest hockey players, is celebratory. Children from modest backgrounds continue to play daily on the same ground where a young Manpreet once honed his skills while dreaming of wearing the Indian jersey. Many of these budding players say they have been inspired by the former Indian hockey captain.
Manpreet’s achievement has sparked pride across Mithapur, with a renewed sense of motivation among aspiring players.
“Since the last two or three days, my children have only been talking about their Manpreet paaji,” said Anu, mother of Navneet and Avneet. “Whenever he comes to Mithapur, he makes it a point to meet academy children. They have met him too, and that inspires them even more.”
The excitement is not limited to the two brothers. Other young players at the Mithapur Hockey Academy — including Himanshu, Davinder Singh, Sahibjot Singh and Manas — are among dozens of budding athletes celebrating the milestone and seeing it as a personal achievement.
At the academy, coaches organised a small celebration after the news of Manpreet’s record-breaking feat.
“When I told them that Manpreet had created history, the players were overjoyed,” said coach Kuldeep Singh. “Most of these children come from humble backgrounds, just like Manpreet did. They carry big dreams and want to become international players one day.”
“I have known Manpreet since he was a child, and I want him to break the world record as well,” Kuldeep Singh added.
