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With mother in the stands, Jarmanpreet Singh ready for Special Olympics debut – News18

Eight years ago, dreamy Jarmanpreet Singh was suspended for failing a doping test. He didn’t know what life had in store for him, except that mother Kulwinder Kaur was adamant that her son would eventually prevail after exhausting all the opportunities.

When Jarmanpreet dons the India jersey on July 27 to make his 107th international appearance at the Yves-du-Manoir Hockey Stadium against New Zealand, his biggest supporter, Kulwinder, will be present in the stands with a prayer on her lips and cheers in her voice.

This is the first Olympics for the 28-year-old Jarmanpreet, who has competed in major tournaments such as the World Championships, the Champions Trophy and the Asian Games. He wants to heal the wounds of the past by performing well in them.

“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 be proud that her son is playing the biggest tournament,” Jarmanpreet, who hails from Amritsar in Punjab, told PTI Bhasha in an exclusive interview before his departure.

“I talk to my mother before every match. She doesn’t know anything about hockey but she tells me to play like this, play like this. She is my first coach. I had also invited her to watch the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai,” said the player from Jalandhar’s Surjit Hockey Academy.

Jarmanpreet was suspended between 2016 and 2018 after failing a random doping test, but he made a strong comeback and will now compete at the Olympics, eight years after missing out on a chance to compete at the Junior World Championships.

He won the silver medal at the 2018 Champions Trophy in Breda, Netherlands, and was part of the Indian team that won gold at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“Although I have participated in the World Cup, the Champions Trophy, the Asian Games, I will be participating in the Olympic Games for the first time. The pressure of the Olympic Games is different, where the best teams in the world participate,” he said.

Jarmanpreet, who took up hockey as an extracurricular activity at school, missed out on the Tokyo Olympic team when India won the bronze medal after 41 years.

But since the arrival of coach Craig Fulton, he has worked hard on his attacking skills as well as his defensive skills and has become a regular member of the Indian team.

He goes to Paris with a positive attitude and has every confidence in his experience and mental strength.

“There is no pressure at all because I have played many matches with these teams. We are going with a positive attitude. It is every player’s dream to play in the Olympics. It will be a proud moment for me and my family. There is no greater motivation than winning a medal for the country,” he said.

Due to the experience he has gained over the years, he no longer suffers from negativity, neither in his personal nor in his professional life.

“It is important to be mentally strong in sports or in life. Only when you are strong you can help others. My goal is to stay focused and see the good things. Learn from mistakes and avoid negativity.”

He doesn’t want to be seen as weak.

“Negative thoughts reduce your confidence and not only affect your performance on the field, but also waste your time off the field,” he added.

Regarding preparations for the Olympics, he said India’s strength lies in counter-attacking and the focus will be on that.

“Our counter-attack is our strength and we play good hockey at a high tempo. We will focus more on playing on the counter,” he said

“We played eight games in the Pro League for the Olympics and also a test game against Australia, which was a good learning experience. Each team has its own structure and everyone plays hockey in a different way.

“We have assessed the teams well in recent times and I am sure we will not return from Paris empty-handed.”

Stay up to date with the latest news from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Check out the Paris 2024 Olympic Games events today. See the updated Paris 2024 Olympic Games medal list. Check out the Paris 2024 Olympic Games event results.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published via a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

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