I had to reset myself to bounce back: Hardik Singh

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist midfielder Hardik Singh says he had to reset himself to bounce back after getting into a comfort zone which led to his omission from the Indian mens hockey team in the pastNow the teams vice captain Hardik bagged the Balbir Singh Sr Award for Player of the Year at the 5th Hockey India Annual Awards held in MarchCurrently Im really happy how Im getting better day by day how Im improving and how Im developing my skills at every session because back in 201718 I got into my comfort zone which proved to be harmful to me as I was not playing well and was dropped out of the team eventually So I had to reset myself to bounce back he said in a releaseAlso ReadNewlyappointed support staff Rhett Halkett Alan Tan join hockey campAs a player you have to work hard every day and have to give your 10037 in every training session You have to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself to grow as a playerTalking about the award Hardik said I never thought that I would ever win this award but I know for a fact that I was working hard for the last three to four years and my hard work paid offI think its an inspiration to receive this award which also ensures that I am appreciated by the people of India for playing wellThe 24yearold who played an important role in India winning the bronze at Tokyo Games suffered a setback when he was ruled out of the 2023 Hockey World Cup midway due to an injuryThe World Cup was really a big chance for me to prove again that Im a big stage player I was doing really well in the tournament and then the injury came So I was in shock because I was doing everything to give my best performance in the tournament he said in the latest episode of Hockey Te Charcha podcastAfter Tokyo Olympics all my focus was on the World Cup and I was giving my 100 percent in everything be it in the gym or training session or pool session All I was thinking about was that my hard work isnt paying off because I was getting injured and doing nothing about itBut I was still cheering for the team from the sidelines and trying to be positive as I didnt want to be a crybaby Its a team game if my side is winning then I am also winningThe Punjabborn player also shared his thoughts about playing under newlyappointed Indian chief coach Craig Fulton who recently joined the national camp at Sports Authority of India SAI BengaluruI think whenever you try to make a champion team you need a champion coach also Craig has been successful with the Ireland team and with the Belgium team He brings that positive aura and the champions mindset that we need right now Hardik saidCraigs ideas and his structure of playing the game and how to read the opponent is really incredible Hes more like a tactical coach so theres going to be more work on that frontI think Craig will need some time to get acclimated to the atmosphere in India its a different atmosphere so we need to be patient with him But we are sure of creating some good memories with himThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever