Mithapur village of Jalandhar erupts in celebrations

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 5

It was gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympics 41 years ago. But bronze at the 1972 Munich when Rupinder Pal Singh scored the fifth goal in the match India played against Germany. Today at Mithapur, hopes and aspirations, being harboured for the past 49 years, were realised.

It has been 49 years since any lad from Mithapur was a part of the medal winning Indian hockey team in the Olympics. The last player from the village was Kulwant Singh who was part of the Indian hockey team that took part in the 1972 Olympics.

India entered the Olympic semifinal for the last time in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. The dusty lanes in the village today were reverberating with dhol beats. Many elderly people of the village were seen doing bhangra.

Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Varun Kumar’s parents were so happy that they left their houses without having any food just to be part of the celebrations. Wherever they went, the dholis and dhol beats accompanied them, even to their houses and the village gurdwara. Coaches, elderly people, relatives, donors, hockey stick manufacturers funding village hockey — all joined in the celebrations. It was an atmosphere of great bonhomie in the village where the three families enjoyed collectively, visiting the local gurdwara, dancing at each other’s houses and giving video bytes together.

Manpreet’s mother said, “They have all grown up together. They went to school together. When they come here, they visit the gym and go to Nik Baker’s together. Ik vari tan shami jana hi hunda. (They have to go once in the evening).” Nik Baker’s eatery is at Model Town in Jalandhar which is adjacent to Mithapur village.

Brahmanand, Varun’s father, said, “Manpreet and Varun went to school together. It was watching Manpreet play hockey that Varun took to the game. Manpreet’s mother used to watch him and ask Manpreet this boy also plays hockey. Manpreet told her he also played hockey with us. It was watching Manpreet that Varun took up hockey. It makes us happy as the kids’ collective team work has borne fruit.”

While the three players have been buddies for long, another reason for the jubilations is more than just India’s Olympic win.

Coach Balwinder Singh, who trained the kids at the local academy, says, “The boys have upheld the age-old hockey legacy of the village. It will usher in a revolution. Hockey is in our blood here. Men have been toiling for ages. Every house has a hockey player. In the three boys, the village’s dream has come true. From Swarup Singh to Kulwant Singh to Pargat Singh, the hockey medal dream which was thought to have erased from residents’ memory long ago seemed to have been revived with a bang.” Harminder, Mandeep’s brother, was seen hanging out with Talwinder Singh, another ace hockey player today, who is also among the most talented hockey players and plays for India.