New and improved Akashdeep Singh

Tribune News Service

Indervir Grewal

Rourkela, January 14

Akashdeep Singh had a wide, beaming smile across his face — India had just beaten Spain in their World Cup opener on Friday, and the forward was enjoying the fruits of his team’s labour. It seemed as if he was taking in the atmosphere at the Birsa Munda Stadium.

It was not his first time being on the big stage — the 28-year-old’s 10-year-long India career includes multiple Asian and Commonwealth Games medals, three World Cup appearances and one trip to the Olympics. The difference this time was the renewed hunger in his eyes – after the Tokyo Olympics snub, he has had to prove himself all over again.

Prodigy

A prodigious forward, Akashdeep made his senior national team debut as an 18-year-old in 2012 and quickly cemented his place in the side. He had his best year in 2014, winning the Asian Games gold and CWG silver. He was also India’s top-scorer at the World Cup. Later that year, he was named the best young player of the Hockey India League and received Hockey India’s Forward of the Year Award.

Though a striker, he was never a prolific goal-scorer, but it was not for want of trying. A technically gifted player, he also worked hard on his shooting skills. He was probably the first Indian forward to cut down on his shooting time by adopting a smaller backswing. What he lacked, though, was the killer instinct, which someone like Mandeep Singh possesses. Mandeep has scored 96 goals in 195 games to Akashdeep’s 83 in 220.

However, Akashdeep always possessed great game sense. Even as a young boy, during his academy days in Ludhiana and Jalandhar, he could eliminate defenders with the simplest of dodges and make the most audacious passes. Because of Akashdeep’s vision, his transition into a playmaker in the Indian team came naturally. Having had his first experience in the new role in 2017, he earned praise as a playmaking forward at the 2018 World Cup in Bhubaneswar.

However, his inability to covert scoring chances made Akashdeep an easy target for criticism after every Indian failure. It led to Akashdeep trying too hard at times, which affected his overall game. “Being an introvert, Akashdeep always had a tendency of overthinking when things went wrong. It has been his biggest burden,” said Avtar Singh, Akashdeep’s former coach at Jalandhar’s Surjit Hockey Academy.

Big shock

However, the biggest shock of Akashdeep’s career was yet to come. With India’s game style changing under Graham Reid, and a perceived dip in form, Akashdeep was dropped for the Tokyo Games. Going into the Olympics, the Indian team adopted a counterattacking style with the use of long, mainly aerial passes. The style required workhorses instead of playmakers. “For me the ability to play across multiple lines was important,” Reid had said after the team selection for the Tokyo Games. “…if a key player gets injured during the Olympics, then you need to have someone who can play across attack, defence and midfield,” he had added.

It cost Akashdeep his place in the team that went on to win the historic bronze. “The exclusion shook him,” Akashdeep’s father Surinder Pal Singh said. “Obviously, his morale took a hit. He was a star player and had been a team regular for almost 10 years. So, the decision came as a shock. But he didn’t lose hope,” he added.

There were rumours of indiscipline being the reason for his exclusion. It was said that he was punished for playing for Punjab Police in a national tournament without the federation’s permission. The other rumour was that Akashdeep had not gone through the federation’s channels to apply for a sports award, irking the administrators.

However, Surinder Pal firmly denied the rumours, adding that his only advice to his son after the exclusion was to not wallow in the past. “I told to him to pick himself up and move on, work even harder and prove himself again,” Surinder Pal said.

Return

That is exactly what Akashdeep did. “The exclusion led to me working on myself,” said Akashdeep. “I really worked hard on my physical fitness, my skills and, most importantly, my mental strength,” he added.

It helped Akashdeep earn his spot back in the team; and he grabbed his opportunities with both hands. “I had a good tournament at the CWG, where we won silver. Then I scored four goals in Australia,” he said.

In the five-game series held in November-December, Akashdeep played three matches, scoring a hat-trick in the opener. He also scored in the third match — a last-minute blinder that gave India their first win over Australia in 13 games. Each goal helped him shake off the “doubt” that had crept into his mind. “The tour really boosted my confidence,” he said. That confidence was evident in his game on Friday, the hunger in his eyes there for all to see.