Hockey: It's been a testing journey to 200 caps, says India captain Manpreet Singh

When his father returned home from Dubai, Manpreet was just 11 years old and always inquisitive why his mother and elder brothers were surrounded by unending worries. As a child fascinated by hockey, Manpreet was the apple of his family's eye in Mithapur village near Jalandhar. And the Pawar household always tried to keep him immune from the struggle to make ends meet and get his father out of a depressive state.

Quite often, such true stories of the battle get lost in the glow of victory.

Manpreet has gone on to make it big in hockey - as big as winning the Asian Games gold, a Champions Trophy silver and playing in two Olympic Games, and now captaining the national team that is the dream of every player. But the background to such journeys is something that remains close to the heart of all achievers.

On December 1, when the Hockey World League (HWL) Final opened in Bhubaneswar, Manpreet played his 200th international game - six years since he made his senior India debut at the 2011 Asian Champions Trophy.

A tear rolled down his eye as the National Anthem played at a packed Kalinga Stadium, with every single moment to this day flashing before his eyes.

"This journey to 200 matches is a long one and very memorable," the India captain said.

"There are a lot of memories - the (2014) Asian Games, (2014) Commonwealth Games and two Olympics (London 2012 and Rio 2016). I owe my success to my family. It wasn't easy."

'Not easy' seems an understatement as Manpreet narrates the tale of his family's hardships at a time when he could only watch helplessly. But those painful memories added to his determination to make it big in hockey and bring an end to all the miseries that refused to leave his dear ones.

"My father had depression issues and never was in a condition to work again (after returning from Dubai). At that stage, there was no other earning member in the family. My eldest brother was just 18-19 then, and I was 11. It was a struggle for the family in every manner and we looked up to my brother. So he decided to move to Germany (presently in Italy)," Manpreet said.

"I was in the beginning years of learning the game at that stage.But my family never let me or my hockey suffer because of the problems. It is because of their sacrifices that I have reached here."

A product of the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar, Manpreet hit the fast lane in national ranks. Moving up speedily through the age-group levels, he went on to lead the junior national squad. It was during the 2013 Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia that he met his would-be life partner - Illi Najwa Siddique.

However, the weddings bells are not on the cards very soon, said the 25-year-old.

"There is still some time (to get married). I can’t think of marriage until the (2020) Olympics," said Manpreet. "At present, my focus is on this tournament. Besides, the next year is a very important one for us with the World Cup and the Asian Games."

At the 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, Manpreet received the news of his father's demise and flew back to be with his family.

"It was a shattering moment, especially for my mother. But she told me that the country and my team needs me. She said that I must immediately fly back and rejoin the team," he said.

The dedication and respect Manpreet commands among fellow players earned him the leadership role after Sardar Singh lost the captaincy and PR Sreejesh got injured at the Azlan Shah Cup earlier this year.

Expected to lead the side up to Tokyo 2020 Olympics, even after Sreejesh makes a return next year, Manpreet has his goals clearly defined.

"I hope to keep giving my best to the country and my team, and I aspire to win a medal for India at the Olympics and World Cup."

The Olympics are still a fair distance away but Manpreet can get the World Cup medal off his bucket list as soon as next year, on home turf.