However, with the country's highest sporting honour - the Khel Ratna award - attached next to his name, the focus is back on Sardar Singh – the hockey player.
Sardar Singh's recommendation for the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award couldn't have come at a better time for him, with the Indian hockey star being under the cloud of allegations of sexual harassment over the past several months. However, with the country's highest sporting honour attached next to his name, the focus is back on Sardar Singh – the hockey player.
"I had just come back from lunch and was resting when I got a call from someone informing about it," Sardar told DNA on Thursday from the national camp in Bengaluru.
"At first, I couldn't believe the news. But after it sunk in, I became a bit emotional. It's a proud moment for me," he added.
The award has only reiterated Sardar's belief that his focus should always be on the game, off-field controversies like the sexual harassment case against him by an Indian-origin British hockey player notwithstanding.
"Bolne waale toh bolte rahenge (people will keep talking). You will find a lot of distractions, but I've maintained all along that nothing can take my focus away from hockey. All these things that happen outside the hockey field, I can't control them. I want to worry about those things that are under my control, and hockey is one of them," Sardar said.
"I have faced several ups and downs in my life. If you don't encounter bad times, you will not learn anything. That's how I look at it. I have always turned to my family and friends during the bad times. I have very limited friends, but each one of them is positive. So, when you only keep positive people around you, you will also think positively," he added.
And with that positivity, the 31-year-old is upbeat about playing on at the top level for a few more years, his aim being the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
"I can go on till 34-35," Sardar said.
"If you see the recent matches, I have been improving every game. And I've been passing every fitness test in the camp as well. That proves that I can play for long. It all depends on how your body responds to the grind. As of now, my body is keeping with it. Your longevity in the sport is all dependent on you, and your fitness," he added.
The award has only added more fuel to the fire within Sardar, who has had to battle perceptions lately from some quarters that he is past his sell-by date.
"When you get awards like these, the hunger to play for your country and do well for your team only increases.
"We have some major tournaments left this year, like Asia Cup and FIH Hockey World League Finals. And, 2018 is a very important year for us. We have two years' time to prepare ourselves for the 2020 Olympics. We have the 2018 FIH World Cup too in India. So, all these things keep me motivated to keep pushing myself to play longer for the country," he said.
Looking back at a topsy-turvy international career of more than a decade, the famed midfielder said he has gotten more than he could've asked for, and doesn't want to believe that the top sporting award has come a bit too late in the day for him.
"Hockey has given me a lot. If I leave hockey today, I will be left with nothing. When I started my career, I didn't even have a bicycle with me. I didn't have a house.
"When Hockey India recommended my name (for the Khel Ratna), I told myself, 'If I get it, good. If I don't, no problem'. I'm not one of those who plays for awards. Yes, these awards do motivate you and ensure that your mindset remains positive. But my target is to play hockey, and play really good hockey," Sardar said.
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