Punjab’s players driving India

Neeraj Bagga

Amritsar, July 12

Punjab’s hockey players continue to hold sway over the national men’s team with eight being drafted into the 16-membr team for the Paris Olympics.

Of the eight, four are from Amritsar — skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh and Shamsher Singh — while four from Jalandhar — former captain Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Sukhjeet Singh and vice-captain Hardik Singh.

Two more Punjab players are among three alternate athletes — Jugraj Singh from Amritsar and goalkeeper Krishan Pathak from Kapurthala.

Harmanpreet’s father Sarbjit Singh, who hails from Timmowal village, said his family was extremely proud that the drag-flicker would get to captain the Indian team in the Olympics.

Shamsher’s father Hardev Singh said that the entire border village of Attari was proud of the fact that two of its sons, including Jugraj, were in the Olympics-bound squad.

Hardev recalled that Shamsher never missed a practice session, and his dedication took him to the Surjit Academy in Jalandhar. Shamsher was trained in his formative years at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy, run in Amritsar by veteran hockey players including Olympian Balwinder Singh Shammi. Shammi, who played in the 1988 Olympics and the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, said he expected the team to excel in Paris.