“It was really, really special” - Gurjant Singh’s wife Karman Kaur Thandi on Indian hockey team’s bronze medal win at Tokyo Olympics

Indian hockey team's forward Gurjant Singh’s wife Karman Kaur Thandi labeled the Indian men’s hockey team’s bronze medal win in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 as a ‘really, really special moment’. She also revealed how Gurjant proposed and married her after achieving success at the Tokyo Games.

In the latest episode of Hockey India’s Hockey Te Charcha, Familia, Karman Kaur Thandi, who is also one of India's leading women's tennis players, talked about the early stages of her relationship with Gurjant, the Tokyo Olympics and her expectations from Gurjant at Paris 2024.

“When I was speaking with him before Tokyo, he said the team had bonded so well together. This was the best thing that could have happened. Once they went to Tokyo and won the laurels, it was all worth it. The video call from him came later and it was a teary-eyed conversation,” Karman told Hockey India.

“It was so emotional since they had worked so hard and put in so much effort. It's something I really cannot 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,” she added.

Gurjant Singh has been exceptional for India as a forward and played an impressive role in some of the major victories, including the Asia Cup win in 2017, Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2018 and 2023, the Asian Games gold win in 2023, and the historic bronze at the Tokyo Games in 2021. Additionally, he also won the Junior World Cup with India U21 side in 2016.

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"Obviously, we're very positive about the outcome" - Karman Kaur Thandi ahead of Paris Olympics 2024

Before heading to the French capital for the Paris Olympics 2024, the Indian men’s hockey team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, will have two different training camps in Switzerland and the Netherlands.

As the whole nation will be hoping the Indian hockey team wins gold at Paris 2024, Karman Kaur expressed her hope and wished the whole team the very best for the quadrennial event in Paris.

“As an athlete, I understand very well that there are going to be high expectations, but the kind of work the staff, coaches, and the team have put in over the last year or so has been commendable. That is something that will never go to waste. Obviously, we're very positive about the outcome. So, I wish and hope for the best for the hockey team for the Paris Olympics,” she concluded.

Karman Kaur Thandi notably is only the sixth Indian to have made the cut into the top 200 of the WTA rankings.

Team India is placed in ‘Pool B’ and will start off their Paris 2024 campaign against New Zealand on July 27. The other opponents in this group are Argentina, Ireland, Belgium and Australia.

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