Gurjot was biking on the kutcha roads of his village, Husainabad — a mere dot on India’s rural map within the Nakodar tehsil of Jalandhar district in Punjab — when a motorbike hit him.He fell, and his head banged into the stony a part of the ‘chakki‘ (handbook flour grinder) wedged on the facet of the highway. He lay unconscious in a pool of blood. The biker and his good friend picked up Gurjot and took him to the closest medical facility.
When the information reached Gurjot’s residence, the mother and father had been out for some work. His two sisters, in a state of panic, had no clue what to do. However thankfully the scenario did not exit of hand. The docs had been frightened concerning the extreme blood loss and instructed his mother and father that it’ll take a while earlier than he can utterly get well.
The headache made restoration powerful. Biking round 4 kilometres to the federal government faculty in neighbouring village Sarinh was a job for the little child.
Gurjot struggled for 4 years, till he laid his hand on a hockey stick.
However the highway he travelled over the following few years from Husainabad to China threw up challenges that included working as a labourer in a ‘chappal’ manufacturing facility.
“I used to be naughty, had loads of accidents,” mentioned Gurjot, speaking to Timesofindia.com two days after his debut for India’s senior crew on the Asian Champions Trophy in China.
“As soon as I additionally acquired hit on the top with a bat whereas taking part in cricket,” he added, with a contact of teenage innocence.
Gurjot is 19 now, however the horror of that day remains to be recent in his thoughts.
“It was severe. I acquired weak,” he recalled. “Medical doctors instructed my mother and father, ‘each time he’ll deal with one thing, repair his gaze on a e book or a cellphone display, then he can have a headache.’ So I needed to take care.”
It took years to get well, and the mother and father understandably remained frightened.
HOW HOCKEY BEGAN
It was only a one-room home again then in Husainabad, the place 5 of the household — Gurjot, his mom, father and two sisters — lived.
His father, the only real bread-earner of the household, labored as a milkman. He even tried his luck to settle in Italy. It did not work out and he returned residence, however in debt.
(Gurjot together with his mother and father – Picture: TOI association)
“We did not have our personal cattle. Bapu (father) used to provide milk for a vendor,” mentioned Gurjot. “He returned from Italy in about 6 months. Due to that, we had been in debt as he had borrowed cash from my uncle.”
Amid these struggles, Gurjot reached seventh customary. The residual headache difficulty had kind of resolved. That is when he had his first introduction to hockey.
However the subsequent hurdle was his father or mother’s reluctance to place him by means of a rigorous schedule of school-home-ground-home every day whereas biking forwards and backwards between Husainabad and Sarinh.
It was a distance of round Four km a method.
“Mother and father did not enable travelling once more for hockey and coming again after darkish, at round 8-9 late night, which isn’t secure in villages,” Gurjot mentioned.
“However mainu chaa hello bada siga (I used to be so excited to play). It took me 6-7 months to persuade my mother and father to let me go. Sooner or later I cried lots. I mentioned ‘mai roti nahi khaani, mainu jaan do’ (I will not eat, let me go).
“Then they agreed.”
(Picture: TOI association)
‘NOBODY WAS HOLDING HAND’
A membership in Sarinh used to maintain the village gamers’ hockey sticks, uniform, footwear, and so on. 5-six of Gurjot’s buddies from Husainabad additionally performed. However all of them missed correct steering on learn how to take their ambition within the sport ahead.
“Till 12th customary, I performed in Sarinh. However neither I had a lot assist nor a lot information or steering on learn how to take it ahead,” mentioned Gurjot. “No one was holding hand; all my buddies who began taking part in with me additionally left the game.”
With no future within the sport in sight, Gurjot too determined to place his stick down on the insistence of his mother and father.
Then, Covid struck the world.
“In lockdown, I began on the lookout for work due to the circumstances at the moment.”
That landed a promising hockey participant in a ‘chappal’ manufacturing facility (slipper manufacturing unit), boxing footwear. However Gurjot’s love for the game hadn’t died.
“We used to take slippers from the machine and packed it in bins. No leaves had been allowed. I used to work night time shift, in order that I may get a while to observe within the morning.
“However to be trustworthy, it was powerful to try this with none sleep,” he admitted.
HOCKEY OFFERED ANOTHER CHANCE
Khalsa Faculty, Jalandhar, introduced trials to pick out hockey gamers.
Gurjot wasn’t too certain, however on the recommendation of his buddies, he determined to look for the trials. And issues began understanding.
“I went for the paths straight after my night time shift within the manufacturing facility, and acquired chosen. I used to be supplied faculty hostel and meals at no cost. The household mentioned there are not any bills and also you additionally wish to play hockey, so go forward. And I began taking part in once more.”
A way of pleasure returned to Gurjot’s voice as he continued.
The additional perks of taking part in for the Khalsa Faculty crew was that the identical set of gamers additionally go on to play the division nationals representing the Punjab & Sind Financial institution as a part of a tie-up between the 2 establishments. So Gurjot’s dream of securing a job after taking part in the nationals got here alive once more.
That happiness, although, was short-lived.
“The yr I acquired enrolled in Khalsa Faculty, the identical season division nationals had been abolished,” Gurjot mentioned. “I used to be clueless and felt like at a crossroads as soon as once more.”
THE LUCKY CARD
Questioning what subsequent flip his life will take, Gurjot landed up at a neighborhood event in Moga. This was 2021. Within the reverse crew had been Sukhjeet Singh and Abhishek, who went on to play for India and at the moment are Gurjot’s teammates within the senior nationwide crew.
Gurjot was pulled up by the referee for a foul and was proven a card. He jogged off the sector to sit down on the chair close to the technical bench.
“A person walked as much as me as I used to be ready for my minutes of suspension to recover from in order that I may be a part of the crew on the pitch,” Gurjot narrated.
“I used to be brief, and nonetheless fairly weak at the moment. The person requested me, ‘Kinni umar hai teri (what’s your age)?’ I instructed him. He then mentioned, ‘Tomorrow morning the Spherical Glass academy is conducting trials at PAP (Punjab Armed Police) floor for its subsequent batch. You go there and provides trials’.
“The identical night time I went again residence from Moga and caught the prepare the following morning to be at PAP floor in Jalandhar,” Gurjot added.
Gurjot’s 100% document at choice trials continued, and he discovered himself within the Spherical Glass jersey.
(Picture: TOI Association)
The Spherical Glass group got here up in 2014, based by a US-based Indian entrepreneur Sunny Gurpreet Singh. Underneath its aegis are hockey and soccer academies, and their groups additionally participate within the nationwide championships and leagues.
“My coach then was Balwinder Singh, the daddy of striker Dilpreet Singh who has performed for India,” Gurjot mentioned. “I performed my first nationals with Spherical Glass…They by no means checked out the place I got here from or that I’ve by no means performed on the nationwide stage earlier than; they simply noticed my sport and thought it was good.”
The hockey programme at Spherical Glass is at present sorted by former India participant and coach Rajinder Singh Sr.
That kick-started Gurjot’s journey within the blue jersey as he acquired a call-up to affix the junior India camp after being noticed by Syed Ali, member of Hockey India’s Excessive Efficiency and Improvement Committee on the Hockey India Academy Championship.
“I scored a couple of targets in that event; we got here fourth. From there, I used to be picked for the junior India camp,” mentioned Gurjot.
The village people gave him a hero’s welcome upon return residence. He is the primary and solely hockey participant to play within the nationwide championship from his village that by no means had a floor.
(Picture: TOI association)
They garlanded him as dhol beats reverberated round Husainabad, and a celebration of children carrying sports activities kits and elders walked by means of the village in celebration, with Gurjot within the centre.
These scenes are set for a repeat as soon as Gurjot returns from the Asian Champions Trophy. He typically does not journey residence from the coaching camp in Bengaluru, as he believes it might take his focus away.
Gurjot prefers to coach even when his mates go residence throughout breaks.
‘CHAK DE, SHOW YOUR GAME’
Gurjot’s debut for the senior crew got here towards hosts China. India gained 3-1. Gurjot did not do something that made information, however he took residence loads of tales to inform.
“Harman bhaji (captain Harmanpreet) mentioned to me, ‘Chakk de, jo vi haiga dikha de. Appa tere naal haan, darna nahi (Come on, present your abilities, we’re with you, do not be nervous or scared),” Gurjot recalled.
The 19-year-old striker did not deny having butterflies within the abdomen, however he channeled it effectively taking part in with 10 of India’s Paris Olympics bronze medallists.
Gurjot was significantly frightened about one factor.
“I used to be nervous to be taking part in with all the massive gamers. It was my first time. I used to be frightened about how a mistake of mine will likely be checked out, what would be the reactions,” he mentioned.
However this nervousness is lots higher from the scare of triggering complications that robbed Gurjot of part of his childhood.
At the moment, Gurjot has accomplished his faculty, is in the course of his commencement diploma (Bachelor of Bodily Training) and taking part in hockey for India. A authorities job that he has all the time wished should not be far.
The boy from Hussainabad has realised his dream.
