Rio de Janerio, Brazil, 11 August 2016: Ace defender and drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh today earned his 150th International Cap against Netherlands here at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Appearing for his first Olympic Games, Singh has been a revelation with his impeccable penalty corner strikes. This lanky six-footer from Faridkot, Punjab, made his India debut in May 2010 at the Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament in Ipoh, Malaysia. The Indian team went on to win the tournament that year.
The following year, Singh scored his first ever hat-trick in international hockey against Great Britain in the 2011 Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament. He also went on to win the Top-Scorer Award of the Tournament and was named in the Sultan Azlan Shah XI Team. At the 2013 Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament, Singh was again the Top Scorer of the Tournament. The same year he scored a maximum of six goals in the men’s Hockey Asia Cup where India won the Silver Medal.
Md. Mushtaque Ahmad, Secretary General, Hockey India, congratulated Rupinder Pal Singh on his 150th international appearance. “Rupinder or BOB as he is popularly called, has been in good form at the Olympics and for many years a key player of the team. I congratulate him on completing 150 matches for India and wish him the best for the forthcoming matches in Rio and hope he continues to score many goals for the country.”