Eight years back, when Jarmanpreet Singh was banned for failing a dope test, he didn't know what life had in store for him other than mother Kulwinder Kaur's staunch belief that her son would come up trumps after battling the odds.
So when Jarmanpreet dons the India jersey to make his 107th international appearance at the Yves-du-Manoir hockey stadium against New Zealand on July 27th, his biggest support Kulwinder will be present in the stands with a prayer on her lips, cheering him on.
This is the first Olympics for 28-year-old Jarmanpreet, who has been a part of marquee tournaments like the World Cup, Champions Trophy, Asian Games and he wants to heal the wounds of the past by performing well.
"I am trying to make travel plans for my mother. I want her to be in Paris when I make my Olympic debut. She should feel proud that her son is playing the biggest tournament," Jarmanpreet, from Amritsar in Punjab, told PTI Bhasha in an exclusive interview.
"I talk to my mother before every match. She knows nothing about hockey but she tells me to play like this, play like that. She is my first coach. I had invited her to watch the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai too,” said the player for Jalandhar’s Surjit Hockey Academy.
Jarmanpreet had been banned between 2016 and 2018 after failing a random dope test but he came back strongly and is now going to play the Olympics eight years after missing the chance to play the Junior World Cup.
A silver medallist at the 2018 Champions Trophy in Breda, Netherlands, he was part of the Indian team that won gold in the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023 and silver in the Commonwealth Games 2022.
"Although I have participated in the World Cup, Champions Trophy, Asian Games, for the first time I will play in the Olympics. The pressure of the Olympics is different in which the best teams of the world participate,” he said.
Jarmanpreet, who started playing hockey as an extracurricular activity in school, missed out on a place in the Tokyo Olympics team when India won the bronze medal after 41 years.
But since the arrival of coach Craig Fulton, he has been working hard on his attacking skills along with defence and has become a regular member of the Indian team.
He is going to Paris with a positive attitude and he has full faith in his experience and mental strength.
"There is no pressure anyway because I have played many matches with these teams. We are going with a positive attitude. It is the dream of every player to play in the Olympics. It will be a proud moment for me and my family. There is no bigger motivation than winning a medal for the country,’’ he said.
Having gained experience over the years, he does not allow any negativity in his personal or professional life.
“It is important to be mentally strong in sports or in life. Only if you are strong, will you be able to help others. My goal is to stay focused and see the good things. Learn from mistakes and avoid negativity," says the player who does not want to be perceived as someone weak.
“Negative thinking will reduce your confidence and not only affect your on-field performance but also (waste your time) off the field waste,” he added .
Regarding preparations for the Olympics, he said that India’s strength is its counter-attack and the focus will be on that.
“Our counter-attack is our strength and we are playing good hockey at a fast pace. We will focus on playing more on the counter," he said.
"We played eight matches in the Pro League before the Olympics and also played a test match against Australia which was good learning. Each team has its own structure and everyone plays hockey in different ways.
"In the last few times, we have assessed the teams a lot and I am sure that we will not return empty-handed from Paris," he added.
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