New Delhi, July 12 : In 2015, when Jarmanpreet Singh was picked by the Punjab franchise in the celebrated Hockey India League, the defender was touted as the next big thing in Indian hockey.

He was well on his way to playing for India at the Junior World Cup in 2016 which catapulted the careers of many of his peers including the current Indian Captain Harmanpreet Singh and mercurial forwards Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, midfielders Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit among others.

But a failed dope test - a result of an injection administered by a medical practitioner in his home town for lower back pain - caused him two precious years in his budding career. While his peers subsequently went on to play for the Senior India team, he had to endure the two-year ban - with the future looking bleak in hockey.

Fast-forward to 2024, he is on his way to making his maiden appearance at the Olympic Games - a quest he credits to his innate quality of being persistent. "It was not easy. It was one of my darkest phases, with many uncertainties. Players don't usually emerge from a setback like this. To sit out of matches for two years is a big gap in the sport," recalled Jarmanpreet , who is now an officer with the Income Tax.

"But I was persistent and I knew I had to bounce back. I don't think I could have done this without a strong domestic structure where I could show the selectors that I still had it in me. In 2018, after the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, I was among the 50 probables in the camp. Hockey India gave me a chance to rebuild my career.

"I was selected for the national program for senior men where I was given an opportunity to catch up with my peers and make my Senior India debut. They saw that potential in me and I didn't give up on my dream to play for India at the Olympic Games," expressed Jarmanpreet.

Now in Switzerland where the team is going through a mental conditioning camp, Jarmanpreet is excited and eager to experience his first outing in the prestigious quadrennial event.

"The journey so far with this team has been incredible. We have gone through the highs and lows as one strong unit. Now, we are focused on our goal and we are in the last block of our preparations. I am super excited and eager to start our campaign at the Paris Olympics," he conlcuded.

/IANS