India Women Hockey Gold: 44 Years Later, Women’s Asian Games Gold Brings Double Celebration to Mithapur

The Indian women’s hockey team’s gold-medal victory at the Asian Games has brought an especially joyful atmosphere to Mithapur in Jalandhar, a village known for producing hockey talent.
The celebrations have been particularly meaningful for the families of hockey players in the village. Former India captain and the country’s most-capped international player Manpreet Singh called his mother Manjit Kaur after the victory and told her that Balli, referring to Baljit Kaur, and her team had won.
Manjit Kaur said the family was more excited about the women’s team this time. She noted that the men had won medals several times, but success for the women was equally important.
She said the daughters of the country had returned home with a gold medal and that their achievement had filled the families with pride.
Women’s Team Wins Asian Games Gold After 44 Years
Hockey Olympian and Mandeep Singh’s wife, Udita Duhan, said celebrations in Mithapur were doubled this year.
Mandeep Singh has played 300 international matches, while Manpreet Singh became the most-capped player for India. Udita said the women’s team winning the Asian Games gold medal after 44 years had been a long-awaited dream.
Both India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams have also qualified for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
For the people of Mithapur, the success of both teams is more than a coincidence. A new effort is also underway in the village to encourage girls to take up hockey and bring women’s hockey to the playing field.
Udita Duhan is now coaching children in Mithapur in hockey during morning and evening sessions.
A Generation Shaped During Pargat Singh’s Tenure
Manpreet Singh and Baljit Kaur, popularly known as Balli, are old friends and batchmates. The two played hockey together for several years.
The generation that was part of the team that won the 2016 Lucknow Junior World Cup is regarded by people in Mithapur as the foundation for the village’s present-day hockey stars. At that time, Pargat Singh was the Sports Director of Punjab.
Coach Balwinder Singh said Pargat Singh had inspired Manpreet, Mandeep and several other players. He said these players are now inspiring the next generation.
According to the coach, 11 players from Mithapur are currently associated with different academies. The village is now preparing to bring more girls into hockey as well.
The initiative, along with the Indian women’s team’s Asian Games triumph and the men’s team’s success, has made this year’s celebrations in Mithapur particularly significant.