Tribune News Service
Indervir Grewal
Bhubaneswar, January 20
Two of India’s World Cup debutants — Jarmanpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh — have a lot in common. Both are 26 years old and hail from Punjab. And both saw their flourishing careers almost come to a halt before they could make it to the top.
Jarmanpreet’s path in hockey was set when he joined the Surjit Academy in Jalandhar. Part of a golden batch, he was marked for success and fame as one of the key members of the squad for the 2016 Junior World Cup. However, one bad decision not only denied him the Junior World Cup title but almost ended his international career as well.
Back home on leave from the national camp, Jarmanpreet consulted a local doctor for his back pain. The doctor administered an injection, which led to a positive dope test when the player returned to the camp, Jarmanpreet claimed. Though the youngster pleaded ignorance, he was banned for two years in early 2015.
Despite the setback, Jarmanpreet kept training at the Jalandhar academy. “It was a tough time for him but he never lost his drive and trained almost every day,” said Avtar Singh, coach at the Surjit Academy.
Jarmanpreet’s road back into the national camp, though, was going to be doubly tough. He had to overcome the stigma of being a dope offender, and after two years in the Indian team set-up, Jarmanpreet’s peers had left him far behind. He was desperate to get a chance, which finally came in 2018.
A few months after first featuring in the core group, he made his India debut at the Champions Trophy, where India won silver. However, he played on and off, and could not retain his spot in the big tournaments, missing the Asian Games and World Cup in 2018 and the Olympics in 2021. So, when he saw his name in the World Cup team, he was filled with joy and relief. “It feels unbelievable to be playing in my first World Cup,” Jarmanpreet said. “I missed a lot of tournaments in my career. I am really thankful for this opportunity,” he added.
A right-half during his junior days, Jarmanpreet has transformed into a versatile midfielder. He is solid in defence. He makes dangerous overlapping runs along the flanks, constantly getting at the other end of Harmanpreet Singh’s long aerial balls. His slap-shot also provides the team a variation in the penalty corners.
Fast forward
Sukhjeet, on the other hand, had to pay for someone else’s mistake. After training in the state government’s Mohali academy, he started getting early attention from departmental teams. “He was always so quick and had brilliant stick skills. He also worked hard in defence,” said Gurdeep Singh, coach at the Mohali academy.
A contender for a place in the 2016 Junior World Cup team, Sukhjeet made a smooth transition into the senior set-up. He was first selected for the senior national camp in 2018. But negligence during a routine physiotherapy session in the camp led to severe back problems. It got so bad that he was paralysed in one leg and had to be “bedridden for almost five months”. “The recovery process was very challenging,” said Sukhjeet.
However, motivated by his family, he made a comeback. He earned a call-up to the India camp early last year on the back of consistent performances on the national circuit. He quickly impressed coach Graham Reid and made his debut in the FIH Pro League in February last year.
A quick learner, Sukhjeet’s decision-making and defensive work has stood out apart from his impressive stick skills. No wonder that within a year of making his debut, Sukhjeet found a place in the World Cup team. “It feels great that I got this chance. My family motivated me during my tough time. They always believed I would make it to the India team,” Sukhjeet said.
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