Rupinderpal Singh announces retirement from hockey
Rupinderpal Singh, one of Indian men’s hockey team’s mainstay, has announced his retirement from the sport. He is touted as one of India’s best dragflickers.
Rupinder bows out on a high after a stupendous Tokyo Olympics where India won the bronze medal. The agile defender has represented India in 223 matches, spanning 13 years, and has scored 115 goals.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Rupinderpal Singh was a livewire and hardly put a foot wrong. He was on the money with his defending skills and put India in the driver's seat many times with his skillful dragflicking.
He scored four goals at the Tokyo Olympics, including one in the all-important bronze medal playoff match against Germany.
Announcing his retirement through a statement on social media, Rupinderpal Singh said:
"The past couple of months have undoubtedly been the best days of my life. Standing on the podium in Tokyo along with my teammates with whom I have shared some of the most incredible experiences of my life was a feeling I will cherish forever."
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He added that it was time to create space for the budding hockey players to cement their place in the Indian men's team. Rupinderpal Singh said:
"I believe it is time for me to make way for young and talented players to experience every great joy I have felt in these last 13 years of representing India."
Rupinderpal Singh took up hockey at the young age of 11 and made his international debut in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in May 2010. India went on to win the tournament.
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He was part of the gold medal-winning Indian team at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and won the bronze medal at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.
Rupinderpal Singh bows out on a high
Winning an Olympic medal is one of the highest moments of every sportsperson's career and Rupinderpal Singh was no different. A medal in the prestigious Olympics meant so much for the full-back that he took a vow to not get married till he realized the dream of winning an Olympic medal.
Rupinderpal Singh got engaged in an intimate ceremony only after India ended its 41-year drought for an Olympic medal in Tokyo this summer.
Talking about the experience of winning an Olympic medal, Rupinderpal Singh said:
"I am leaving the team feeling happy and content as we have conquered the greatest dream, which was to win an Olympic medal for India. I will carry with me nothing but great memories of playing with some of the most talented players in world hockey and I have immense respect for each one of them. My teammates have been a great pillar of support all these years and I wish them the best as they surge ahead in taking India to newer heights in hockey."
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