How a father’s borrowed money helped fuel Baljeet Kaur’s golden dream

By Asia Samachar  | Hockey |

“Silver nahi lena tha, gold hi chahiye tha.” (I didn’t want silver, only gold.)

For Baljeet Kaur, there was no settling for second best. The 25-year-old hockey player from a modest Punjab family had set her sights firmly on Asian Games gold — and she was confident of bringing it home.

“I knew we would win gold,” she told The Tribune after India defeated China 1-0 in Japan on October 2, ending a 44-year wait for the women’s hockey title.

Baljeet, from Kaka Kandiala village in Tarn Taran district, was the only woman from Punjab in India’s gold-winning squad.

Behind that triumph lies a story of financial hardship, family sacrifices and extraordinary determination.

Her father, Lakhwinder Singh, worked as a labourer, earning barely enough to support the family. Yet he never discouraged his daughter’s sporting ambitions, sometimes borrowing money to meet her hockey expenses.

Her mother, Rajwant Kaur, recalled how her husband would somehow find the money whenever Baljeet needed it.

Even proper nutrition was a luxury.

Baljeet recalled her coach insisting that players regularly eat chickpeas and almonds. When she could not afford them, she would ask teammates to share theirs.

Asking her father for money was equally painful. She knew how difficult it was for him to arrange it.

Her hockey journey began after watching a cousin leave home each morning to play the sport.

Not everyone initially shared her enthusiasm. Her elder brother, Dalsher Singh, a taxi driver, once questioned why their father was spending money on hockey instead of focusing on Baljeet’s education. Today, those doubts have turned into immense pride. Even passengers in his taxi ask about his famous sister.

Baljeet’s confidence was evident before the Asian Games began. She had instructed Dalsher to arrange dhols for her victorious homecoming.

That celebration became reality when she returned to her village to a rousing welcome.

Punjab MLA Harmeet Singh Sandhu said the state government had announced ₹1 crore and a government job in recognition of her achievement.

But Baljeet has another wish: proper sporting facilities in her village, giving youngsters opportunities to pursue sports instead of drugs.

For a labourer’s daughter who once struggled to afford almonds, the Asian Games gold represents far more than sporting glory. It is the reward for a family’s sacrifices and a young woman’s refusal to surrender her dreams.

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