Sukhjeet Singh of Indian hockey says, My father is my rock in times of uncertainty

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The 26-year-old forward for the Indian Men's Hockey Team credits his father for his hockey career. Sukhjeet's father, a former hockey player, gave him a hockey stick when he was four years old.

Since then, Sukhjeet has overcome many challenges to make it to the Indian Men's Hockey Team. He explores the complexities in the most recent installment of Hockey Te Charcha, a podcast series started by Hockey India.

"My father owned a sizable hockey stick. When I was approximately four or five years old, my father cut that large stick and gave it to me. When my dad got home from work, he would take me to the ground and teach me how to play hockey. My father has thus been the most significant influence on my hockey career. The most significant factors in this have been my father and my diligent work "Added Sukhjeet Singh.

After spending seven years in the Chandigarh Hostel, Sukhjeet moved on to play on departmental teams for Sindh Bank, Punjab Police, Indian Oil, and finally Punjab National Bank. Following a stellar showing for the Punjab National Bank side at the Inter-Departmental National Championships in Bangalore in 2018, he was selected for the Indian Men's Hockey Team.

However, Sukhjeet's toughest hockey challenge came after he was chosen in the shape of a back ailment. "The hardest time in my life was during that time. I had never experienced such misery, thus I won't ever forget that time. I was unable to even eat while sitting on the bed; however, moving was another matter. I was in a pretty dark period at the time and wasn't sure if I would ever be able to walk again "He clarified.

"I saw my father crying when he picked me up from the airport. I thought to myself that my father had sent me to represent India and when I came back, I was walking using a roller walker. My father hugged me and I started crying as well. My father encouraged me to keep my faith and instilled confidence in me. My father used to give me massages to help me recover. There were no physios over there, my father did everything, he was my rock during those uncertain times, and he prepared me to play again," he elaborated.

After overcoming this setback, Sukhjeet made his FIH Pro League debut for the Indian Men's Hockey Team in the 2021-2022 season. Since then, his development as a forward has guaranteed him a spot at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai 2023 and the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup in Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.

Sukhjeet is currently in China with the goal of taking home the gold at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. "The veteran players assist us; we turn to them for advice if we don't grasp the system or if we are unsure of something. Sukhjeet had commented on preparations before leaving for China: "The coach has coached us in a way that no matter who the striker is, if we are unable to convert a goal, then we need to create a chance for our teammates and that's what we'll try and do at the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.

The Indian Men's Hockey Team now leads Pool A after victories over Uzbekistan, Singapore, Japan, and Pakistan at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022. On October 2, they will take on Bangladesh in the final game of the group stage with the hope of finishing in the top two slots and moving on to the semifinals.

(Inputs from Press Release)