Midfielder Hardik Singh, a key member of the Indian team that won back-to-back Olympic bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris, is trying to strike a balance between workload and rehabilitation during the Hockey India League (HIL) here.
Hardik, who suffered a left shoulder injury after colliding with a Spanish player in the fourth quarter of the bronze medal match at the Paris Olympics, missed the Asian Champions Cup in Hulunbuir, China and the two-Test series against Germany in Delhi while recovering from the injury. injury.
“I underwent rehabilitation for four months. I played (test event) with the development team (in Breda, Netherlands). This is my first fast-paced competition after the Olympics and it’s going well. I still have some pain in my shoulder, but I’m coping,” said Hardik, who is struggling with his second serious injury Sports stars. He previously suffered a hamstring injury in a pool match against England and was ruled out of the 2023 World Cup here.
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Despite the workload, the UP Rudras captain is giving adequate attention to rehabilitation. “When there is no match, I focus on therapy and rehabilitation sessions. Every day I spend half an hour with a physiotherapist and an hour on shoulder rehabilitation.
Asked if he would consider missing some games to protect his shoulder, the 26-year-old replied: “It’s not that bad. I want to play all 12 matches (including the semi-final and final/bronze match). I’ll see how my shoulder reacts.
With Rudras suffering their first defeat (to the Hyderabad Toofans) after winning two matches, Hardik adopted a practical approach. “After failure, it’s easy to point fingers at yourself. After the first two matches, our players congratulated each other on their good work. We try different combinations. The most important task is to qualify for the top four and then give 110 percent,” Hardik said.
