“The Olympic tattoo keeps me motivated”

He had set a personal milestone of 12 goals for himself. He scored 16 and still wanted more. Ace drag flicker Sandeep Singh, after helping India clear the Olympic qualifiers, is basking in the newfound limelight. An outright rebel on the turf, there is no mistaking his shy nature off it though he fights hard to keep it hidden. A career-threatening accident in 2006, two-year ban in 2010, which was later revoked with a warning after an apology, he has seen it all. In a freewheeling chat with Amit Khanna the 27-year-old from Shahbad, Haryana, talks about his dream of London Olympics, revival of hockey, fitness and much more.

Sandeep Singh has got Olympic Rings tattooed on his forearm as a reminder that he has to win a medal for India in the London Olympics Photo: AFP

It is a proud moment for the whole team to have qualified since we missed it the last time around, but now we are determined to take it to the next level and win in there, too. Personally, coming back to this level after the accident in 2006 when everybody wrote me off is very satisfying.

Any qualification stage is bound to be full of pressures, as you know; if you lose it you are dead. I trained really hard for more than a year to keep myself fit physically for the qualifiers. I am happy I played my part in taking the team past the first hurdle.

The Olympic Rings tattoo has played its part and will continue to motivate me. I wanted to tell myself everyday that I have to win a medal for my country in the London Olympics. Winning for your country in the Olympics is the ultimate dream for any sportsperson, and I am determined to do it. This tattoo reminds me about it daily and keeps me on the goal.

My phone has not stopped ringing for the last few days. I have not been able to get proper sleep as I have been kept busy with interviews and all. But it feels great that the whole country is happy for us. It is a humbling experience, which makes all of us go that extra mile and bring many more such laurels to the country.

I cannot pick one out of them but yes the hat-tricks were really special and I am happy I managed thrice. Before the tournament, I had said to myself that if I score at least 12 goals I would be more than happy.

It is tough to comment right now. We will be in a better position to answer this after, say, two months of preparation. We have the talent and we have shown it fully. With hard work and training, we will do our best and win the gold medal. We know we can and we will.

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