In our latest episode of 'Hockey Te Charcha, Family', a one-off series launched by Hockey India ahead of the Olympics, tennis player Karman Kaur Thandi spoke about the early stages of her relationship with Gurjant Singh, their off-court behavior, and her expectations for her husband and the Indian men's hockey team at the Paris Olympics.
Karman is only the sixth Indian to have reached the top 200 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings and continues to strive in the sport. Karman highlighted Gurjant's support in her recent career, saying: “He is a big part of my support system because he is a very mature player. And he comes in handy when I need pep talks when I'm spiraling into negativity. “So he’s the one who picks me up.”
Since her debut against Belgium in 2017, Gurjant has scored 31 goals in 109 appearances. Karman attributed this to his calm personality on and off the field and said: “On the field, he is very aware of the situation and very patient. He is constantly thinking about what needs to be done to be in the right place at the right time. Even in life outside of hockey, he is a very patient person. No matter what the situation is, he will remain calm. And that's something I really love about him.”
Gurjant Singh has featured in India's striker in some of the biggest victories including 2016 World Youth Cup, 2017 Asia Cup, 2018 and 2023 Asian Champions Trophy titles, Games Gold Asians in 2023 and the historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
“When I spoke to him before Tokyo, he said the team had come together very well. This was the best thing that could have happened. Once they went to Tokyo and won the laurels, it was all worth it. Their video call came later and it was a teary-eyed conversation. It was very emotional because they had worked so hard and tried so hard," he said.
"It's something I can't really explain right now, how beautiful that moment was. It was really, really special, and what came after was just as special. After the Tokyo Olympics, he came back and asked for my hand." in marriage at home,” Karman revealed.
As the entire nation hopes that the Indian men's hockey team will change the medal color this time, Karman expressed his hope by saying, “As an athlete, I understand very well that there will be high expectations, but the kind of work that the staff, the coaches and the team have done over the last year has been commendable. That is something that will never go to waste. Obviously, we are very positive about the result. That is why I wish and hope the best for the hockey team for the Paris Olympic Games.”
Karman is only the sixth Indian to have reached the top 200 of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings and continues to strive in the sport. Karman highlighted Gurjant's support in her recent career, saying: “He is a big part of my support system because he is a very mature player. And he comes in handy when I need pep talks when I'm spiraling into negativity. “So he’s the one who picks me up.”
Since her debut against Belgium in 2017, Gurjant has scored 31 goals in 109 appearances. Karman attributed this to his calm personality on and off the field and said: “On the field, he is very aware of the situation and very patient. He is constantly thinking about what needs to be done to be in the right place at the right time. Even in life outside of hockey, he is a very patient person. No matter what the situation is, he will remain calm. And that's something I really love about him.”
Gurjant Singh has featured in India's striker in some of the biggest victories including 2016 World Youth Cup, 2017 Asia Cup, 2018 and 2023 Asian Champions Trophy titles, Games Gold Asians in 2023 and the historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.
“When I spoke to him before Tokyo, he said the team had come together very well. This was the best thing that could have happened. Once they went to Tokyo and won the laurels, it was all worth it. Their video call came later and it was a teary-eyed conversation. It was very emotional because they had worked so hard and tried so hard," he said.
"It's something I can't really explain right now, how beautiful that moment was. It was really, really special, and what came after was just as special. After the Tokyo Olympics, he came back and asked for my hand." in marriage at home,” Karman revealed.
As the entire nation hopes that the Indian men's hockey team will change the medal color this time, Karman expressed his hope by saying, “As an athlete, I understand very well that there will be high expectations, but the kind of work that the staff, the coaches and the team have done over the last year has been commendable. That is something that will never go to waste. Obviously, we are very positive about the result. That is why I wish and hope the best for the hockey team for the Paris Olympic Games.”
