By Jagdesh Singh | Opinion |
Punjabis have been dominating figures in the world of hockey for many generations. Be it from the motherland of India or from the diaspora in Malaysia, we’ve been blessed with giants of the game like Aphthar Singh, Sarjit Singh and Maninderjit Singh, just to name a few. This website is a treasure trove of famous Punjabi Sikhs that have graced the game as fantastic players and leaders – www.SikhsInHockey.com. As I scroll down the names (in this website) that have donned the Malaysian jersey from 1964 to 2007, I noticed there’s now a gap of 17 years when we’ve not had a Singh in the national team.
I didn’t fret for long. I do know of an emerging star in the hockey turf at the national arena.
We are lucky that we’re a small community, and we’re bound to get hints of growing talents from our community that potentially make us very proud.
Over the past few years, a young turbaned boy has caught the eye of avid hockey fans in Malaysia, particularly amongst the older generation of Punjabi players.
Gagandeep Singh is tall and lanky, with a very cheeky smile. There’s a glint in his eyes that gives me the impression that he’s very confident of himself. He hides it with his smile.
The 17-year-old has been a normal fixture in the youth national teams since he was in primary school. The latest tournament where he was found in the yellow jersey of Harimau Malaysia was the Mirnawan Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil.
Playing for Malaysia Speedy against big names like South Korea, Austria and Queensland, the left winger made an impact in the tournament, helping his team finished third.
They lost to Malaysia Tigers in the semifinals in a penalty shootout leaving Gagan heartbroken. Getting to the semifinals was no easy feat beating Queensland from Australia and Austria.
Gagan scored 3 goals and had 3 assists in the tournament, 2 of the goals scored in the 3rd/4th placing game.
Fascinatingly enough, Gagan is the son of one name I mentioned earlier – Aphthar Singh. On one hand, it’s no surprise that Gagan inherited his wonderful talent from such an established player. On the other, the odds of a son carrying on his father’s legacy on the turf is immensely low.
Aphthar’s illustrious career has seen him in action, also as a left winger, in some major tournaments, inlcuding the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 and the Hockey World Cup in Utrecht 1998.
Aphthar planted the seeds of love for hockey early in Gagan’s life at 4 years of age. But the boy started taking things seriously as he entered his secondary school, which was the Bukit Jalil Sports School for elite athletes.
There is no doubt that Aphthar remains Gagan’s biggest inspiration in life, but Gagan insists his biggest supporters are his mother and his elder sister. “My mom’s encouragement inspires me every day, and my sister’s support keeps me grounded, helping me stay focused and giving my all in the game,” he tells me.
He’s also trying very hard to maintain a balance in life as a student and an elite athlete. This year is SPM year for the young man. He puts in the hours with the text books but has his eyes set on being in the biggest of stages – the Junior World Cup in 2027!
My knowledge of the intricate skills for hockey is limited but it doesn’t damper my appreciation for them. But I didn’t want to take my own word for it. I reached out to an old friend, a veteran of the game who is still active in the sport competitively. Harcharan Singh is currently playing in the 2024 WMH World Cup in Auckland in the 050 category as the Malaysian captain.
“He’s a top-class player. One of our only hopes to being in the national team,” Harcharan tells me over the phone. That’s good enough for me. The boy will be a star soon and we’ll have a Punjabi Sikh following the tradition of being a Hockey great again in Malaysia.
Jagdesh Singh, a Kuala Lumpur-based executive with a US multinational company, is a father of three girls who are as opinionated as their mother
* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
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