Harjeet Singh, the son of a truck driver, overcame the odds to realise his dream of playing for India and led the India Under-21 team to victory at the Junior World Cup, which the country won after 15 years.
By Rakesh Jha
Indian Sports News
Adversity brings out the best in you, provided you are prepared to fight, and Harjeet Singh had the resolve to fight back when the chips were down. In a tale of grime, guts and glory, the son of a truck driver overcame the odds to realise his dream of playing for the country. He then went on to lead the India Under-21 team to victory at the Junior World Cup, which the country won after 15 years.
“Those were difficult days for us. I used to play the game hiding from my family, as they weren’t keen on me taking up sport as a career. We were going through difficult times financially, as my father (Rampal Singh) is just a truck driver and his salary wasn’t enough to meet our basic needs. They wanted me to study and make a career in academics,” said the 20-year-old from Niholka village near Kurali, adding that his mother did not know much about sport and so he did not get her backing initially.
“Though my father was a kabaddi player and my elder brother (Rajwinder Singh) was into wrestling, my mother didn’t approve of me taking up sport as a career. She hardly knew anything about it and wanted me to study. On top of that, there used to be a lot of traffic on the road that led to the Kurali Hockey Academy, and my mother was scared about how a small child would cross that road on his way to training. But I somehow convinced her that, apart from my practice, I would do all the household chores, including feeding the buffaloes and cleaning the house, and then she relented,” said Harjeet, adding that whenever he came home late after practice, he had to bear the brunt of his mother’s anger as well.
Early days
Recalling his early days, Harjeet said he started playing hockey at the Kurali Hockey Academy, which was very close to his village. “The academy used to give hockey kits to trainees, so initially I went there in the hope of getting that kit. I must have been in Class 3 or 4 then. But soon I started enjoying the game. My coach Amritpal Singh taught me the basics,” said Harjeet, who later led India to victory over reigning world junior champions Germany in the final of the Four Nations Invitational Tournament in Valencia, Spain, last year.
Things changed for the better for the youngster once he moved to the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar. “It’s one of the best academies we have in Punjab. I didn’t get admission at the first attempt. I took the trials in 2006 and 2007 but failed to make the cut. Then, in the third year, I sacrificed my studies, practised hard for around six months and qualified for the academy in 2008. That changed my destiny,” said Harjeet, adding that it was during those early days at the Surjit Academy that he started dreaming of playing for the country.
“I learnt a lot at the academy from my coaches Avtar Singh and Gurdev Singh. I started dreaming of playing for the country and worked hard for it. I was included in the junior national team for the Junior Asia Cup in 2012, and got a chance to play for the senior team at the Azlan Shah tournament last year. Things have changed drastically for me, both as a player and financially. Now I can take care of my own needs and even help my family. They have sacrificed a lot for me, especially my brother, who even did daily-wage work in Dubai to support me. My cousin also helped me a lot. Now it’s time to pay them back,” said the youngster, who was named the ‘Jugraj Singh Upcoming Player of the Year (Men-21)’ at the Hockey India Annual Awards last year and received a cheque for Rs 10 lakh. “That award was life-changing for me,” he said.
Healthy competition with Sardar
Talking about his competition with Sardar Singh, the former India captain who is also a midfielder, Harjeet said it was a very healthy rivalry. “Sardar Singh is a gem of a person. I am not competing with him; I only try to learn as much as possible from him. He is such a good player. I try to imbibe his leadership qualities. I am in awe of the way he manages the players,” said Harjeet, adding that leading the team to Junior World Cup victory after 15 years had brought him fame and fortune.
Hockey gave me fame and fortune
“It has given me recognition and money. The Punjab government has also promised me Rs 25 lakh, and I hope I get it after the elections. We had a fantastic batch at the Surjit Academy, as eight of the players in the Junior World Cup team came from the academy. If not in 2020, you will find many players from this batch at the 2024 Olympics,” said Harjeet confidently.
Full of praise for his India Under-21 coach Harendra Singh, the captain said it was Harendra who had built this team. “It was under him that we came into the camp in 2014. He taught us everything – not just about the game, but even how to conduct ourselves and talk in front of others. He taught us team spirit. He taught us how to live together. He treated everyone equally. He has made this team,” he said, adding that the main reasons for the team’s success were its discipline and unity.
Strengths
Talking about his strengths, Harjeet said that over the years he had learnt how to maintain unity in the team. “I have learnt to work under pressure. I am good at handling players under pressure. I have played for the senior team as well and learnt a few things from the seniors too,” he said.
Full of praise for the Hockey India League, which is in progress, Harjeet said it was a blessing for players like him. “It’s not only good financially but has also helped youngsters like me to learn a lot from senior and international players. Sharing space with legends of the game is an experience in itself,” said the Delhi Waveriders player.
