At the RevSportz Trailblazers 3.0 Conclave, some of Indian hockey’s biggest names sat down with Boria Majumdar to discuss the state of the sport, its resurgence, and the road ahead. From back-to-back Olympic medals to the rise of women’s hockey, here’s what they had to say.
On the 50th Anniversary of India’s 1975 Hockey World Cup triumph, let’s take a look at how the conversations went on stage.
Here are some excerpts.
Boria Majumdar: Back-to-back Olympic medals. Have we regained our mojo in the sport?
Dilip Tirkey: I am very happy with the progress we have made in the last few years in Indian hockey. Yes, the Hockey India League has been a success, but overall, the sport has grown manifold.
Winning back-to-back medals at the Olympics is not easy, and the boys have done wonders. You remember the match against Great Britain, and it gives you chills—the way Sreejesh, Harmanpreet Singh, and the others performed was truly incredible.
Talking about women’s hockey, they are also doing great under Harendra Singh. They won the Asian Champions Trophy and then performed well in the Pro League. Defeating the Netherlands is not an easy task.
I am happy with the progress.
Boria Majumdar: Bholanath ji, you’ve made some fantastic calls—taking Sreejesh into the youth system, giving Harmanpreet the captaincy till the Los Angeles Olympics, and bringing in Harendra Singh for the women’s team. Please talk about the vision going forward.
Bholanath Singh: I will talk about the process. I believe that as an administrator, my job is to provide for my athletes. You can ask them—I don’t spend a single second thinking about whether they need anything.
I treat them like my own brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and I leave no stone unturned to provide for them. My only ask of them is that they give their hearts out and win medals for the country.
If you look back at the golden period in Indian hockey when we used to win back-to-back gold medals, they were all Indian players, right? So why can’t we do that today? I can assure you that Indian hockey’s golden period is coming back soon.
🚨 Celebrating Indian Hockey on the 50th Anniversary of India’s only Hockey WC triumph!
Listen to @TheHockeyIndia president, @DilipTirkey, Sec. Gen @Bholana97117226, skipper @13harmanpreet, @16Sreejesh and women’s head coach @HarendraSingh66pic.twitter.com/hRSWYZjJGp
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 15, 2025
Boria Majumdar: Harmanpreet, now that Sreejesh is not there with you in the leadership group, how are you seeing the road ahead—the Asian Games, the World Cup, and ultimately the Los Angeles Olympics?
Harmanpreet Singh: Yes, we move forward. It’s not that we’ll be complacent just because we won back-to-back Olympic medals. Every tournament we play, we play for the gold, and that will be our approach going forward as well.
Talking about the tricolour going up, I consider myself lucky that I could make this happen for my country. It is the best feeling when we sing the national anthem and a billion people sing along with us.
Boria Majumdar: Sreejesh, look back at your illustrious career for us; you are an inspiration.
PR Sreejesh: Well, the journey was long, with ups and downs. Picking up a hockey stick at an early age and winning two Olympic medals is something I will always cherish.
People talk about Tokyo and Paris, but I would say London and Rio taught us way more. That disappointment in London made us strong for Rio, and ultimately, we broke the medal jinx in Tokyo.
I would say Tokyo was a bit easier because there was no crowd, while in Paris, it was a packed stadium with greater expectations. We thought we deserved a better medal in Paris, but we are happy with the medal.
As for my journey, all I can say is I couldn’t have asked for a better ending.
Boria Majumdar: Harendra, what did you do to turn things around after the women’s team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics? Winning the Asian Champions Trophy, and doing well in the Pro League—what changed?
Harendra Singh: Not qualifying for the Paris Games meant I had the opportunity to start from zero. I realised that I would be taking on the team without a legacy, and it gave me the freedom to start afresh.
I was with the USA team when I received the call from Bholanath Singh asking me to come back to India. I didn’t think twice.
This is Indian hockey’s moment. The journey has just begun.