Uttam Singh is an Indian hockey player who serves as the captain of the Indian junior men’s hockey team in 2022. The player gained popularity as he led India to win the 2022 Johor Sultanate Cup and the 2023 Men’s Junior Asian Hockey Cup during his tenure as captain.
Wiki/Biography
Uttam Singh was born on Tuesday, December 10, 2002 in Karampur, Uttar Pradesh (age 21; until 2023). His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. Uttam Singh started playing hockey at the age of 10 at a hockey training facility in the village of Karampur, Ghazipur, and was inspired by the late college president Thakur Teji Overseen by Thakur Tej Bahadur Singh. The academy was awarded the status of the Kalampur Hockey Stadium in September 2022. He further honed his skills at the Sports Authority of India Center (SAI) in Lucknow. Utam Singh said in an interview,
Due to family pressure, my father was unable to continue playing. He’s the only breadwinner, so he can’t focus on the game. It is not easy for him to take care of my expenses. But Tej Bahadur Singh who passed away this year and his brother Radhe Mohan Singh still took care of my needs even after I moved to SAI Lucknow. “
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair color: black
Eye Color: Black
family
parents and siblings
Uttam Singh’s father Krishnakant Singh was a farmer and an aspiring hockey player who gave up his dream of playing hockey after his father’s sudden death , to support their families. Now, he is fulfilling his dream through his son Uttam Singh. Not much information is available about his mother and siblings.
Mother’s Day post on Instagram by Uttam Singh
Profession
In 2015, Uttam Singh moved to West Lucknow and lived in a hostel where he continuously trained and practiced matches. In 2019, he was selected for the Junior Men’s National Coaching Camp and had the opportunity to participate in the 2019 Indian Junior Men’s National Championship as a member of the Uttar Pradesh team. In 2021, he participated in the Men’s International Hockey Junior World Cup hosted by India, where India finished fourth but lost to eventual runner-up Germany in the semi-finals. Utam Singh made his debut for the Indian hockey team during the Heroes Asia Cup 2022 in Jakarta. India finished third in the 2022 Heroes Asia Cup, with Uttam Singh emerging as the tournament’s rising star.
Uttam Singh to join Heroes Asia Cup 2022
In October 2022, Uttam Singh led the 18-member Indian youth men’s hockey team to participate in the Johor Sultan Cup in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Utam Singh scored twice in the penalty shootout to lead India to a thrilling 5-4 win over Australia in the Johor Sultan Cup final. Uttam Singh has retained his captaincy for the 2023 Boys’ Junior Asian Cup Hockey Tournament in Salalah, Oman. On June 1, 2023, the Indian team defeated Pakistan 2-1 in a tense final and successfully defended the Asian Youth Cup Men’s Championship. Utam Singh was awarded the man of the match.
2023 Asian Cup Men’s Youth Category
Utam Singh is now focusing on the upcoming 13th IHF Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup, which will be held at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on December 5, 2023.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Indian Hockey Jugraj Singh Awards 2022 Player of the Year
Utam Singh accepts the award from Union Cabinet Minister Anurag Thakur at the fifth annual awards ceremony
Facts / Trivia
- Uttam Singh grew up in a poor family and only when he moved to a hotel did he have access to basic amenities like fans and coolers.
- During his time at SAI Lucknow, veteran hockey player Raj Kumar Pal inspired him and helped him develop skills like dodging, tackling and passing.
- One of the biggest challenges Uttam Singh faced in his life was training relentlessly for ten years without knowing when his big break would come.
- One of the skills that makes him stand out as a forward hockey player is the speed and agility with which he moves across the turf.
Uttam Singh to face Pakistan in Asian Cup 2023
- Uttam Singh greatly admires his senior PR Sreejesh, a goalkeeper and former captain of the Indian national hockey team. His junior men’s hockey team jersey number is 16, inspired by the jersey number of his idol PR Sreejesh.
- Utam Singh also took inspiration from his predecessor Manpreet Singh, who led the Indian hockey team to a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Manpreet Singh often taught him the importance of the basics of the game. In an interview, when asked about one of the major teachings he received from Manpreet Singh, Uttam said:
Zyada pass karke kheloge toh aur bhi accha kheloge (The more you pass and play, the better you become). In the first four to five minutes of the game, don’t concede the ball, score goals. If you can start the game well, you can finish the game well. ”
- Utam Singh’s favorite teammate is Vishnukanth Singh. They live in the dorm together, and in 2022 they make their senior men’s hockey debuts at the same time.
Utam Singh and Vishnukanth Singh
- The Indian team won the Johor Sultanate Cup after 8 years under the captaincy of Uttam Singh.
- He was supposed to lead the 20-member Indian junior hockey team in the four-nation tournament in Dusseldorf, Germany, from August 18 to 22, but pulled out of the team due to an injury sustained during the SAI training camp in Bengaluru.
- In an interview, when asked how the role of captain shaped him, Uttam said:
When I used to play for the National Youth Team as a player, I would think of giving 100% effort on the court and putting in enough effort for the team. We get more serious during the one-hour prep period in training camp than we do before a game. I’ll prepare hard to play that game, that’s what I’ve been doing. I was a captain on the field, but before that I was a player. ”
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education