The vice-captain of the Indian Hockey Team, Hardik Singh, adopted a family from Punjab's Ramdas village, which was affected by the floods. Hardik decided to use all his match fees and prize money from the tournament, running into lakhs, to help flood victims rebuild their lives. Hardik will help Gurshan Singh, his mother, and their two children reconstruct their house, which was destroyed in the floods, and buy them furniture, fans, and even a television.
Usually, India’s hockey players do not receive match fees while playing for the country. However, Hockey India in 2022 had announced a bonus of Rs 50,000 for each player every time they won a match.
Speaking to the Indian Express, Hardik said that he was introduced to the family by an NGO, Initiators of Change. He said, “Through them, I met this family who had nothing left. For the last 10 days, they’ve been sleeping in a tent 60m away from their home. Someone gives them food one day, and a few others help them with other basic amenities. They don’t have any source of income or any other resources to rebuild their lives. I couldn’t imagine what they were going through,”
India win Hockey Asia Cup
India capped off a stellar campaign at the Hero Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, Bihar, by lifting the prestigious title for a fourth time after a commanding 4-1 victory over Korea in the final on Sunday, September 7. The triumph also saw them secure their qualification for the Hockey World Cup next year.
Sukhjeet Singh set the tone with a stunning goal in just the first minute of play. Dilpreet Singh emerged as the star of the final, scoring twice, once in the 28th minute and again in the 45th, to put India firmly in control of the match. His clinical finishing and sharp movement around the goal were too much for the Korean defense to handle.
India’s fourth goal came in the 50th minute through Amit Rohidas, who capitalised on a penalty corner to drive the final nail in Korea’s hopes of a comeback.
