One of India’s greatest hockey players of all time, Sandeep Singh will celebrate his 36th birthday on February 27, 2022. He has generally played as a full back in the team and is a penalty corner specialist. Sandeep Singh is one of the fastest drag flickers in the world. Scoring Techniques in Hockey. His flick speed is around 145 km/h. He earned the title of ‘Flickr Singh’ because of his scintillating drag flicks.
Born in Shahbad town of Kurukshetra, Haryana, Sandeep Singh completed his education from Shivalik Public School, Mohali. Sandeep was born to Gurcharan Singh Saini and Daljit Kaur Saini. Sandeep has an elder brother, Bikramjit, who is also a field hockey player who plays for Indian Oil.
International debut in 2004
Singh made his international debut in January 2004 during the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Kuala Lumpur. In January 2009, he was made the captain of the Indian team. In 2009, under Singh’s captaincy, India ended a 13-year-long wait and won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup by defeating Malaysia in the final at Ipoh. Sandeep Singh was also the top scorer in the competition. He also represented India at the 2012 Summer Olympics, qualifying after a gap of eight years and being the highest scorer in the qualifying tournament.
Accidentally shot under the back
On 22 August 2006, a Railway Protection Force jawan accidentally shot a hockey player while boarding the Shatabdi Express. Due to this incident, Sandeep’s liver, kidney and spinal cord were badly damaged. He was wheelchair bound for over a year. However, “Flickr Singh” made a miraculous return to hockey after a full recovery.
retired in 2016
Sandeep retired from professional hockey in 2016. He is a DSP rank holder in Haryana Police. The superstar joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2019. He contested the Vidhan Sabha elections from Pehowa constituency and won the Haryana Legislative Assembly. After which he was sworn in as Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs and Minister of Printing and Stationery (Independent Charge).
honored with many awards
In 2010, Sandeep Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award for achievements in field hockey. In 2012, he won a gold medal in the Olympic Qualifier tournament. He was adjudged the best player in the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.