Hardik Singh Highlights Hockey Players' Superior Fitness Over Cricketers

Indian men's hockey team vice-captain Hardik Singh asserts that hockey players have superior fitness compared to cricketers, noting higher Yo-Yo Test scores. Hardik emphasized that the average hockey team score is significantly higher, even surpassing cricket's fittest athletes, including Virat Kohli.

Indian men's hockey team vice-captain and midfielder, Hardik Singh, spotlighted the superior fitness levels of hockey players compared to Indian cricketers, citing significantly higher Yo-Yo Test scores. According to Singh, hockey players' Yo-Yo Test results far surpass those of cricketers, a revelation that may surprise many.

The Yo-Yo Test, a global standard for measuring athletes' fitness, gained prominence in India when cricketers' selection began to hinge on their scores. Star cricketer Virat Kohli, regarded as one of India's fittest athletes, boasts a Yo-Yo Test score of 17.2, exceeding the team's minimum requirement of 16.5.

Despite cricketers receiving accolades for their fitness with scores of 17-18, Singh revealed that the Indian men's hockey team consistently achieves scores around 23. Singh shared during a podcast that even goalkeeper PR Sreejesh scores exceptionally high at 21. He outlined that the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIR) progresses from level 15 with eight sprints, culminating at 23.8, a level reached by seven hockey players.

Singh also compared results with the junior girls' hockey team, who score around 17-18, equivalent to Kohli's score. Singh was last active during the Paris Olympics 2024, playing a pivotal role in India's bronze medal finish, where they triumphed 2-1 over Spain in the third-place playoff, securing consecutive Olympic Bronze medals. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)