Sandeep Singh Height, Weight, Age, Facts, Biography

Sandeep Singh is an Indian politician and former professional field hockey player who scored 138 goals in 186 appearances (2004-2012) for the Indian senior national hockey team. A former captain (2009-2010) of the Indian senior national hockey team, he was a penalty corner specialist. He was nicknamed ‘Flicker Singh’ as he was widely regarded as one of the best exponents of the drag-flick (an attacking goalscoring technique in field hockey, mainly used during penalty corners) in his era. In 2010, he set the then world record for the fastest drag-flick (145 kph). Sandeep won the ‘Gold’ medal at the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and clinched the ‘Silver’ medal at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games. He also secured the ‘Bronze’ medal at the 2007 Belgium Champions Challenge and the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. For his services to field hockey, the Government of India honored him with the Arjuna Award (the 2nd-highest sporting honor in the country) in 2010. Post-retirement, Sandeep was given the rank of ‘DSP’ (Deputy Superintendent of Police) by the Haryana Police Department, the law enforcement agency in his home state of Haryana.

Born Name

Sandeep Singh Saini

Nick Name

Flicker Singh

Sun Sign

Pisces

Born Place

Shahbad, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India

Residence

Chandigarh, India

Nationality

Education

Sandeep had attended Shivalik Public School (SPS), a private, co-educational residential-cum-day school located in Mohali, a city in Haryana’s neighboring state of Punjab. He later studied at the Kurukshetra University in his home district of Kurukshetra.

Occupation

Politician, Professional Field Hockey Player (Retired)

Family

• Father – Gurucharan Singh Saini
• Mother – Daljeet Kaur Saini
• Siblings – Bikramjeet Singh (Older Brother) (Field Hockey Player)
• Others – Meenakshi (Sister-in-Law) (Field Hockey Player)

Playing Position

Defender

Shirt Number

4 – India

Build

Athletic

Height

6 ft or 183 cm

Weight

75 kg or 165.5 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Sandeep has dated –

1. Harjinder Kaur (2008-Present) – Sandeep married his childhood acquaintance and fellow national-level hockey player Harjinder Kaur in 2008. They have a son together named Hardeep.

Race / Ethnicity

Asian (Indian)

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Toned physique
• Affable smile
• Sports a beard

Religion

Sikhism

Sandeep Singh Facts

1. Sandeep first came into the spotlight in April 2004 when he finished as the highest goalscorer (16 goals) at the Men’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup and helped India win this title for the first time.
2. In August 2006, very early into his international career, while traveling by train to join the Indian senior national hockey team that was due to leave for the upcoming FIH (Fédération Internationale de Hockey) Hockey World Cup, he was seriously injured after being hit by an accidental gunshot. The injury left him wheelchair-bound for nearly a year.
3. At a time when many felt that such a promising career had been brutally cut short, Sandeep not just recovered from this physical and emotional trauma, but revitalized his career to such an extent that he was deemed good enough to represent India at the next edition of the FIH Hockey World Cup in 2010. In July 2018, a biographical film was released based on his life and focusing on this miraculous turnaround, titled Soorma (translates to  ’Warrior’).
4. In April 2009, under his captaincy, India won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (a prestigious invitational international men’s field hockey tournament that began in 1983 and is held in Malaysia) after a long wait of 13 years. With 6 goals to his name, Sandeep was the top goal scorer in the tournament. He was also named the ‘Player of the Tournament’.
5. This was India’s 4th such title which made the country the then 2nd-most successful team in the competition. Sandeep was the top goal scorer (9 goals) in the previous edition (2008) of the tournament as well where India had finished as the runner-up.
6. At the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, he was the highest goalscorer (11 goals), helping India win the ‘Bronze’ medal.
7. In February 2012, in the final of a qualifying tournament that awarded just a single berth in the field hockey competition at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, India smashed France by a 9-1 margin to qualify for the Summer Olympics after a gap of 8 years. Sandeep was the star performer in the final, scoring 5 goals, all from penalty corners. He was also the highest goalscorer in the tournament (16 goals).
8. At the 2019 legislative assembly elections for his home state of Haryana, he was elected from the Pehowa constituency, fighting on a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party, one of the 2 major political parties in India and the world’s largest political party in terms of primary membership) ticket.
9. In the new state government that was established after the election, he was sworn in as the minister of state for sports and youth affairs (independent charge) and the minister of state for printing and stationery (independent charge).
10. In December 2022, a junior athletics coach alleged that Sandeep had s**ually harassed her. A case was registered against him on January 1, 2023, for s**ual harassment and criminal intimidation. He retorted by alleging that the complainant was pursuing a vendetta against him. On moral grounds, however, Sandeep resigned from his ministerial position in the government of Haryana.

Featured Image by Sandeep Singh / Instagram