Sardar Singh after being awarded the Khel Ratna: Hurts when people use controversies to question my on-field achievements

Former Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh has had a long and illustrious career that has earned him several international medals, goals, and millions of fans. So, one could be forgiven for assuming that he being conferred with the country’s highest sporting honour - the

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Award - would not be a topic of controversy. However, it has been Sardar’s off-the-field life that has caused controversy. Last year, a former England international hockey player levelled allegations of sexual assault against Sardar and while the

Special Investigation Team of Ludhiana Police

gave Sardar a clean chit, the case is still under investigation in the UK. His status as an accused has raised many eyebrows about his award win. Talking to DT after receiving the

Khel Ratna

from the President, Sardar talks about what this award means to him, the road forward, and why the controversy around his win is needless in his opinion.

'The focus is on good performance, awards are incidental'Sardar is thrilled to win the Khel Ratna, but emphasizes that awards are only incidental for him, and his target remains simple - to play good hockey. "I had never thought that I would win this award. My target was to play good hockey. Normally, if you perform well in your field, awards and recognitions come your way. I feel performance is more important to me than recognition, at least at this stage in my career. When you are new in the national side, your target is to make your place for a prolonged period and that is when you want recognition. But as you become a seasoned player, you learn to understand that your responsibility is to play well and everything else is incidental," he says.

With the Rashtrapati Bhavan in the backdrop, Sardar Singh proudly poses for DT with his Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna medal (BCCL/ Ranjit Kumar)

'I wasn’t playing well and there were younger players who were doing well'Till a few years ago, Sardar was the best Indian hockey player in India, but his performance slipped and there were calls to drop him from the side as well. He tells us, "A few years ago, there was a time when I was not sure of my place in the team. I wasn't performing my best and there were young players who were doing well. You can’t be assured of your place in the team - such is the talent in our country. Kisi ko easy nahi le sakte. At that time, I didn’t know if I would play the next World Cup or the Olympic. Awards ka toh socha hi nahi tha."

The award, Sardar believes, will give a second wind to his career. At 31, Sardar knows he isn’t getting any younger and he practically has just one shot at achieving his dream of winning an Olympic medal. He says, "I think this award will help me perform better. I feel more responsible now. I will try to perform well in the Olympics and win medals for the country there."

'Controversies haven’t belittled these awards'The announcement of the Arjuna and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards every year also sees its fair share of controversies. Many argue that these controversies have diminished the charm of the awards, but Sardar disagrees. He says, "Bolne ko koi kuch bhi bol sakta hai. Everyone has their thought process. But I don’t think the awards have been belittled, at least not for the athletes. They still mean a lot to us."

Sardar Singh being awarded by President Ram Nath Kovind

'The Khel Ratna was decided by a committee, why question that?'Sardar's win isn't without its share of controversy either. The former Indian captain has been accused of sexual assault by an England international hockey player of Indian origin, who was reportedly in a relationship with Sardar between 2013 and 2016. Many have questioned the decision to award a player who is battling sexual assault charges the highest sporting honour of the country. Sardar admits that the controversy has troubled him. "When such allegations are thrown your way, it feels bad. And so, when people use them to question your achievements, it hurts. The case will be dealt with by the authorities, but this award has been decided by a committee jiska decision sabke saamne hai. Why question that? But you have to learn to deal with it. I don't have a lot of friends but those who are close to me have positive influence on me. I try to keep my focus on hockey," he says.