19-year-old Gurjot Singh recently made his debut for the Indian men's hockey team in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024 held in Moki, China. The young forward was called up to the junior team after his stellar performance during the trials at SAI while Harmanpreet and her team were in Paris for the Olympics.
Gurjot played all 7 matches of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and although he could not score a single goal, he proved himself and showed a lot of dedication and hard work on the field.
In a statement issued by Hockey India, Gurjot said, the atmosphere in the senior team is very good, all the seniors are like elder brothers who keep the atmosphere light most of the time. My debut in the Asian Champions Trophy was like a dream. I was excited to play against China, I thought I would score a goal on my debut, but even though I couldn't score, I gave my best in the game and it was a good performance. Before the game, Harmanpreet Singh reassured me that there was no need to overthink or get scared; I just have to play like I usually do in camp, play freely and not think about making mistakes.
Gurjot is from Hussainabad, a small village in Punjab. His father is a milkman in a nearby village, his mother is a housewife and his sisters are pursuing their studies. Gurjot was very mischievous in his childhood. When he was 6 years old, he met with a bicycle accident, which put his life in danger. He received seven stitches on the back of his head in the accident.
Recalling that accident, he said, after the accident, I had some weakness for a few years, but when I turned 10, I recovered completely and started studying in a nearby government school. In school, I noticed that kids who played hockey had a little more freedom. He would come late to class and leave a little early for practice, so I thought why not try this game.
Till 2020, Gurjot had to work in a slipper manufacturing factory to support his father. He would practice in the morning and work at night. Later that year, at a local tournament, Gurjot faced future teammates Abhishek and Sukhjeet. During the game he was also informed that RoundGlass Hockey Academy would be holding trials the next day.
Gurjot packed his bags and set out to impress the coaches at the trials in Jalandhar. As a player of the RoundGlass Hockey Academy, Gurjot played in the first Hockey India Junior Men's Academy National Championship 2021 in Bhopal and caught the attention of the selectors and earned a place in the Indian junior men's hockey team.
Since then he has played in the 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, Men's Hockey Asia Cup Salalah 2023, FIH Hockey World Cup Oman 2024 and most recently the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024. With the 12th Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 and Men's Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 on the horizon, Gurjot has shifted his focus back to the junior team.
He said, Hero Asian Champions Trophy was a good learning experience, I was already aware of the demands of the senior team. There is no doubt that it was a dream start for me, because we won all the matches and also won the title, but there is still a long way to go and a lot to improve. I need to work on my movement in the circle, get quicker at putting pressure on my opponents and increase my speed on the ball.
He finally said, My parents have seen some difficult times, but they have always supported me. It felt great to be able to repay their faith in me with the cash prize we received after our win in China. The 12th Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 and Men's Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 are coming soon and I want to apply what I have learned with the senior team to perform well.
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