Budding players get tips from Olympians

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 21

Olympians Pargat Singh, Harpreet Mander, Gundeep Kumar and Sanjeev Kumar Dang and international player Daljit Singh trained nearly 100 budding hockey players who are getting training at Surjit Hockey coaching camp on Saturday.

On the 60th day of the camp, all veteran players interacted with hockey players and told them how they started hockey in their childhood and also shared some tips with players. Daljit Singh donated 21 hockey sticks to players of the camp.

Former Indian hockey team captain, Hockey Punjab honorary secretary and also MLA, Pargat Singh, said he was impressed from the overwhelming enthusiasm among children at the coaching camp. He thanked the parents of 100 participants who are bringing their children to the camp themselves to keep them physically fit and are taking care of their drug-free future. He appealed to all parents to send as many children as possible to the camp. He said new astroturf at the Surjit Hockey Stadium would be laid in the next three months and a new astroturf would be laid in Lyallpur Khalsa College and Kukar Pind soon.

Pargat Singh said the camp would soon be known as the leading hockey nursery in the country. He said veterans and former hockey players of other districts should learn from the coaching camp run by the Surjit Hockey Society and start similar hockey camps in their respective districts as well for the promotion of hockey in Punjab.

Surinder Singh Bhapa, director (coaching camp) of Surjit Hockey Society, said under Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner Ghanshayam Thori, who is also the president of Surjit Hockey Society, more than 100 players in the age group under 14 to 19 years are participating. They are being trained by good coaches such as Olympians Rajinder Singh, Davinder Singh, Avtar Singh Pinka, Rajinder Kumar Sharma and Yadvinder Singh Johnny. He said no fee was being charged for attending the camp and the training is absolutely free. Apart from hockey sticks and fruits, soaked almonds are being provided to participants as daily food to all participants, sponsored by NRI and sports promoter Tut Brothers of the US, said Surinder Singh Bhapa.