Akashdeep delighted to get Arjuna award

Bengaluru: Acknowledging the contribution his teammates made in his and Indian hockey team’s success, forward Akashdeep Singh on Thursday said he is delighted and honoured to be selected for the Arjuna award.

Akashdeep, who has played 194 matches for the national side, has been part of several cherishable performances in the last four years — the FIH Olympic Qualifiers win against Russia last year, the bronze medal-winning show at the Asian Games and winning the FIH Series Finals.

“I am extremely delighted and honoured to be conferred with the Arjuna Award,” Akashdeep said in a media release.

“I have been very fortunate to be playing for my country since December 2012 and I am very grateful for playing alongside a fantastic bunch of players. I wouldn’t have been able to contribute to the Indian team’s victories if I hadn’t received the wonderful support from all of my teammates,” he added.

The 25-year-old also thanked his family and Hockey India for guiding him throughout his career.

When asked about the best moments from his career, Akashdeep said that he enjoyed being part of India’s success at the men’s FIH Series Finals and Olympic Qualifiers last year.

“The atmosphere in the stadium on the day we qualified for the Tokyo Olympics was electrifying. All athletes play their respective sports for these moments and I hope I experience more such moments in the rest of my career,” said the 25-year-old,” he said.