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I’ve always wanted to serve my country, says West Point cadet Gurjiwan Singh

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AT WEST POINT: (L-R) Devpreet, Davinder, Gurjiwan and Tejpal. The family flew in from Michigan for Plebe-Parent weekend – Photo: West Point Admissions Facebook page

Military life seems to be run deep in Gurjiwan Singh’s veins. Little wonder then that he is now at West Point, the U.S. military academy.

In an interview shared at the West Point Admissions Facebook page, he was asked why he chose to come to West Point.

“I  interviewed for early acceptance into MIT and I received a scholarship to Michigan, but I knew I wanted to come here, to West Point. I guess that I’ve always wanted to serve my country. I don’t think I’ve ever seriously considered anything else,” he replied.

They then asked his father Tejpal Singh why he thinks his son chose to come to West Point.

He said: “Well, his great-grandfather served with the British Sikh regiment in WW1, and his uncle served in the Indian Air Force as a helicopter pilot – maybe he’s got a lot that in him. Ever since he was a little boy, he would march around the house, counting cadence, and saluting, so I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I was. Looking at him now, to see him as a strong young man, with a lot of courage and so much determination, I know he’s made the right decision.”

And what about his mother? Holding back tears, Davinder Kaur said: “I’m just so proud.”

The entry ended with this sentences: Of course you are, mom. And so are we. #GoArmy!

[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com] 18321

 

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England Boxing overturns beard ban

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A Lions MMA boxing class – Photo via SikhPA

Boxers with beard and facial hair will soon be able to compete in UK boxing ameteur tournaments, a move that would allow Sikh boxers who maintain their bodily hair as required by their faith to jump into the ring.

Last week, England Boxing confirmed the rule change on facial hair ban from 1 June.

“England Boxing has made the decision to remove the rule at domestic level and forms part of its aims to fully embrace inclusivity in the sport,” the outfit said in a statement released at its website on 13 March.

The boxing association also said that it would to lobby International Boxing Association (AIBA), originally the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur,
to get the rule changed at an international level.

“After a number of queries from the membership including at the AGM, the issue was raised at England Boxing’s board meeting in December where it was agreed that the governing body should look into changing the rule and also write to the international federation – AIBA – to seek that they change so any boxers could potentially compete on the international stage,” the statement added.

Sikh ethos combat sport organisation Lions MMA took up the issue of England Boxing’s beard ban and began dialogue with England Boxing about it after seeing a growth in young Sikhs feeling restricted from progressing in the sport because of it, according to its statement, entitled ‘Amateur competitions now open to practicing Sikhs following rule change’, released via SikhPA.

Canada Boxing changed their own rules on a beard ban in the year 2000 following a court-case led by Sikh amateur boxing star Pardeep Singh, the statement added.

The move was welcomed by Sikh boxers like 20 year-old Karam Singh.

“I am looking to go professional soon – in the next two or three years. I could have done so before, but it would have been very dangerous without any amateur experience,” he told sports portal TalkSport.

Karam said he believed permitting amateur boxers to compete with beards opens the door to thousands of aspiring fighters.

“We are a warrior community. We have fought world wars. We have got our own rich history. If I didn’t have boxing I would have no discipline. My faith and my boxing are the two biggest things for me and they go hand in hand,” he said.

Karam’s talent caught the eye of former British middleweight champion Wayne Elcock, who now trains him in Birmingham.

Elcock told TalkSport: “He has definitely got natural ability and has a good chance of going very far, but obviously that was being stopped with the beard ban.”

The beard ban was put down to health and safety as England Boxing (previously the Amateur Boxing Association of England) felt facial hair could cause problems. Potential danger was identified if a boxer’s beard entered an opponent’s eye or an open cut. In addition it was feared that a cut underneath facial hair would be more difficult to stitch, the report added.

Until 2009 the beard ban included an exemption for Sikhs, allowing them to compete. However, the exemption did not extend to other religious groups and when a Muslim boxer from Bolton was stopped from competing he challenged the rule.

Instead of giving Mohammed Patel the right to fight with a beard the ABAE removed the Sikh community’s exemption such that both faiths were treated equally but the ban became absolute.

 

[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com] 18315

 

RELATED STORY:

Canada Sikhs journey from hostility, heartache and finding home (Asia Samachar, 7 Feb 2018)

 

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Youthful contemporary take on Carnatic standards

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A combination of vocal, flute, piano, violin, guitar and tabla will present the “By the Light of the MOON” at the Temple of Fine Arts Kuala Lumpur (TFA KL) this Sunday (25 March 2018).

The audience is promised a youthful contemporary take on well-loved Carnatic standards, according to a statement from TFA KL.

The evening events brings together Chitra Poornima Satish on vocals, Shridhar Gopalaraman on flute, Jyotsna Nithyanandan Prakash on piano, Pangasaasanii Gowrisan on violin, Eliezer Enan on guitar and Prakash Kandasamy on tabla.

Poornima is a disciple of Academy Award nominated Carnatic music vocalist and composer Bombay Jayashri. She started learning Carnatic music at The Temple of Fine Arts Singapore and has performed at Chennai’s prestigious institutions like Barathiya Vidhya Bhavan and Kartik Fine Arts.

Shridhar is the great-grandson of Sangeetha Kalanidhi Sri P Swaminatha Iyer, a violin maestro of his time. Sridhar graduated with a Masters of Arts in Music and is a B high grade artist at All India Radio. He is presently a flute music teacher at The Temple of Fine Arts Singapore.

Jyotsna is a composer, performer and a teacher at TFA KL. She has completed her Masters in Performing Arts and has previously been commissioned to compose for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO) and the Malaysian Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (MPYO).

Pangasaasanii became the third to stage her violin arangetram in Malaysia in 2002 while Eliezer is a well-known professional musician in the local music industry.

Tabla player Prakash received the ‘Tokoh Seni Negeri’ title from the Penang state government in 2003 for his contribution to the arts in the state.

BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

Date: Sunday, 25th March 2018

Time: 7 – 8.15 p.m.

Venue: Kanagasabai Studio, The Temple of Fine Arts Kuala Lumpur

Invitation by donation is available at The Temple of Fine Arts Kuala Lumpur. Please call 03-2274 3709 or visit here for further details.

 

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When players become victims of administration issues

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Kirandeep Kaur

By Jugjet Singh | NST

The National Under-16 Malaysian hockey tournament is a platform where new talent is supposed to be discovered, while established players impress selectors further.

But this year, an established player was not selected while 18 boys and 18 girls from Kedah became victims — both due to administration issues.

Kirandeep Kaur, has over the years, won many accolades at school, zone and state levels for having the winning touch, as well as being more matured and skillful than her age-group.

At 14, she scored the winning goal in the Under-16 last year. Kuala Lumpur beat Sabah 4-3 thanks to her super fourth goal.

That is not all, national women’s chief coach K. Dharmaraj as well as Technical Director Terry Walsh are impressed with her skills and are only waiting for her to grow up before they include her in their plans.

But the 15-year-old became a victim of administration, when it seems there was a mix-up of selection dates, as well as changes in coach and manager — and she missed the opportunity to play for her state.

In an age where social media groups can inform targeted people where and what time to meet inside seconds, Kuala Lumpur Hockey Association (KLHA) should utilise it to inform parents when and where selections will be done.

KLHA have been utilising social media for some time now, and maybe there was a hiccup this time around. It needs to be looked into. And then the missed bus story from Kedah Hockey Association (KHA).

Whatever the excuse, KHA failed to do their job well even though the blame was on a bus which broke down, followed by money issues which saw 36 children miss the opportunity of their lives.

They had trained hard and were looking forward to this opportunity to travel to Kuala Lumpur and play at the Natioanl Stadium in Bukit Jalil.

For Kuala Lumpur and Selangor children, its easy to play the the stadium which has hosted many international events including the 2002 World Cup.

But for some kid from Kedah, it might have been his/her only chance to play at the coveted venue as well as a stepping stone to represent the state more often — be noticed by selectors and represent Malaysia at the Olympics and World Cup in the next decade.

Yes, it all begins at the Under-16 level.

If Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Kelantan and Terengganu can find the money to travel and house their players in Kuala Lumpur for nine days, there is no excuse for KHA not to be able to provide the same for their players.

If Kedah Hockey Team can find the money to hire six foreign players for their Malaysia Hockey League (MHL) campaign this year, KHA should also have done their sponsorship rounds for children.

But if KHA continue neglecting age-group development, in the end, they will have to hire more Pakistan and other players to form a team.

That will be penny wise pound foolish, or like the Malay proverb ‘Kera di hutan disusukan tetapi anak di pangkuan mati kelaparan.’

As for KLHA, they should have a meeting with the affected party to sort out matters, for helping to nurture good players will look good on their development dossier.

Story courtesy of Jugjet Singh’s blog here.

 

[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com] 18304

 

RELATED STORY:

Young Malaysian hockey ace Pavandip scores 6As in SPM (Asia Samachar, 17 March 2018)

Jugjet: Hockey grassroots in Malaysia simply rotten (Asia Samachar, 9 May 2016)

 

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A beautiful HR mind

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Sharmeel Kaur

A Malaysian-based human resource (HR) practitioner Sharmeel Kaur recently bagged the Top 100 Global HR Minds award in Mumbai, India.

She was one of the 2,000 professionals and leaders from 133 nations that took part in the World HRD Congress 2018.

Sharmeel, the HR head at Volkswagen Malaysia, was not in HR all the while. At some point of her working career, Sharmeel made a switch from IT to HR because of her ‘deep passion for people’.

The Computer Science graduate from UK has clocked 11 years in HR with a number of multinational companies (MNCs).

And she has a motto for her career: ‘Why just be another face in the crowd when you know you have the potential to outshine yourself from the crowd’.

Asia Samachar spoke to the outstanding lady, the only Sikh recipient at the awards.

AS: How were you chosen for the award?

SK: I was chosen based on nominations. I don’t know who nominated me. It’s usually from the HR fraternity either from Malaysia, Asia or internationally. I was chosen based on my various approaches and methods of contributions to the HR fraternity. My HR work to my organisations – past & present, my work to the community and HR specific projects that I had successfully rolled out.

AS: Were there other Malaysians?

SK: Yes. In total, seven including me received the award.

AS: How do you feel to have been selected for this award?

SK: I am truly honoured to receive this award as I didn’t expect the scale of what this award meant until I went to Mumbai to receive it. However, I could not have achieved my success without divine intervention.

AS: What does it mean to you?

SK: This is a huge achievement to me. I am more motivated by it and will constantly push myself to be better at my job. Also to give back to society, as much as I can. I have this motto in my career: ‘Why just be another face in the crowd when you know you have the potential to outshine yourself from the crowd’. Constantly keeping that in my mind, my emotions in chardi kala (ever exalted spirit) and with Waheguru’s blessings, I was able to succeed to this level. This is just the beginning, I will continue to learn and grow.

AS: What is your advice to the Sikh youth?

SK: To always believe in yourself. We, Sikhs, don’t realise the talent, ability and the gift our Gurus have bestowed on us. Never fail to walk in confidence and to be in a state of chardi kala no matter what the odds may be.

In terms of career, have a passion for your job because anything is possible and never be afraid to try something out of your comfort zone. I made the switch from IT to HR because of my deep passion for people and look where it has landed me today.

AS: Tell us about the award?

SK: The selection of the awardee goes through a vigorous selection process. After nominations, an independent team of researchers will verify your experience and credentials. Post that, it goes to a panel of jury comprising of top HR practitioners from around the world and then they decide if you’re worthy enough as an awardee.

 

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ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

Former Punjab CM Beant Singh’s killer gets life imprisonment – Report

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Jagtar Singh Tara

A Chandigarh court on Saturday (17 March) awarded life imprisonment to Jagtar Singh Tara, the assassin of former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh.

The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge J S Sidhu pronounced the sentence in the high security jail located in Burail, Chandigarh, where the accused Khalistani terrorist is currently lodged, reports India Today.

According to the Tara’s counsel Simranjit Singh, the court has also imposed a fine of Rs 35,000 on Jagtar Singh Tara who has decided not to challenge the lower court’s decision in the High Court.

Booked under various sections of IPC including murder, attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, the CBI lawyer had demanded gallos for Tara. The accused in a letter submitted to the court in January this year had confessed his involvement in the assassination of Beant Singh which took place on August 31, 1995.

Beant Singh was killed in a powerful explosion outside the Chandigarh Civil Secretariat along with 16 others. He was killed by a human bomb Dilawar Singh who was a Punjab police employee. Dilawar Singh had killed Beant Singh by blowing up his bullet-proof car.

Beant Singh was on the target of Babbar Khalsa International, a banned Khalistani terror outfit, who was made Punjab chief minister when other parties had boycotted the assembly elections. The killing was in retaliation to alleged human rights violations by the Punjab police.

The accused Jagtar Singh Tara was arrested in September 1995 from New Delhi. He was lodged in the Burail Jail till 2004 when he managed to break the jail and fled to Thailand. He was then arrested from Thailand in 2015 and lodged in Burail Jail.

 

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RELATED STORY:

(Asia Samachar, 23 Oct 2017)

 

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Gopal Shing (1957-2018), Bentong

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PATH DA BHOG: 24 March 2018 (Saturday), 10am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Bentong | Malaysia
Gopal Shing (1957-2018), Bentong

GOPAL SHING A/L MARKHAN SINGH

Born: 6 November 1957

Departed: 13 March 2018

Wife: Sarjit Kaur

Daughters / Spouse:

Sukhvinder Kaur / Karmreek Singh

Jagjit Kaur / Kiranjit Singh Rekhraj

Son / Spouse:

Late Daijinder Singh

Grandchildren: Mellvinreek Singh

Path da bhog: 24 March 2018 (Saturday), 10am-12pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Bentong, Pahang

Contact:

Sukhvinder Kaur 012-586 0190

Jagjit Kaur 012-631 7911

Karmreek Singh 012-587 1090

Kiranjit Singh Rekhraj 019-396 5309

Kindly treat this as a personal invitation from the family

 

| Entry: 18 March 2018 | Source: Family

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Punjabi pop star Daler Mehndi convicted for smuggling migrants

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Daler Mehndi – Photo: Daler Mehndi Facebook page

Popular Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi has been sentenced to two years in prison for smuggling migrants abroad, but has maintained his innocence in his latest statement after the verdict was announced.

The Indian pop star and six others were accused in 2003 of cheating people of large sums of money by falsely promising to take them to Western countries. The singer was convicted on Friday in the northern state of Punjab. But he was released on bail soon after, reports BBC.

Mehndi is one of the most popular Punjabi singers of the 1990s and early 2000s, and also has a following abroad.

In an entry in his Facebook page, Daler says: “This case has been going on since last 14 years with my brother, who unfortunately passed away last year, as the main accused. Even after the court found no evidence against me, with the assumption that my brother was under my umbrella, the court has put out this verdict. This saddens me but I have complete faith in God that truth will come out soon. We will approach the session’s court for justice.”

The BBC report noted that in 1998 and 1999, he had allegedly taken at least 10 migrants, disguised as dancers in his ensemble, to the United States and returned without them. After police in Punjab registered a case against him, about 35 people reportedly accused him of fraud. They said he had taken money from them for taking them abroad but had failed to do so.

Mehndi said he will appeal the conviction in a higher court.

He sang in several Bollywood films but he is best known for his music videos in bhangra pop, a bouncy electronic genre inspired by the traditional dance tunes of Punjab.

Mehndi’s debut album sold over 20 million copies. He has given stage performances in about 18 countries including the UK, US and Singapore, the report added.

 

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RELATED STORY:

(Asia Samachar, 23  Sept 2017)

 

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Young Malaysian hockey ace Pavandip scores 6As in SPM

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Pavandip Singh (right) during an international under 16 tournament in Australia – Photo: Pavandip Singh

Young Malaysian hockey talent Pavandip Singh has proven that he has what it takes to make dashing moves beyond the field. The promising player has just received results for the national examinations, and he has done extremely well.

Pavandip, who has dorn the Malaysian national youth team jersey, scored 6As in the just-released Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

How did do it? “I made sure I studied more than anything else. When free, then I would do the other activities,” he told Asia Samachar.

Pavandip is keen to pursue engineering but it open to other areas as well.

He comes from a family of hockey players. In March 2016, Pavandip, then 16, and his sister Kirandeep Kaur, then 13, were selected for the National Under-16 Boys’ and Girls’ camps. Also selected was Krishanraj Singh from Johor.

In that same year, he was the sole Sikh hockey player who made the cut for the Malaysian hockey under-16 for the Whitsun Cup in Mannheim, Germany. Pavandip then joinded the 18-men team for the tournament as Malaysia embarked on a journey towards the 2020 Junior World Cup.

His father, Gurdip Singh, used to play for the Perak state during his schooling days. Now, he is a lawyer and a single parent since the passing away of his wife Surjeet Kaur some eight years ago.

His younger brother, Amandeep Singh, played for the Kuala Lumpur hockey team when he was 9-13 years old.

 

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RELATED STORY:

Pavandip selected for German under-16 hockey tourney (Asia Samachar, 7 May 2016)

Harjeet Singh: Hockey Ambassador for Singapore (Asia Samachar, 21 Oct 2016)

 

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SNSM Vaisakhi kick-off starts on April 5 at Tatt Khalsa

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The traditional Vaisakhi kick-off for Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) will be held on 5-8 April 2018 at Gurdwara Sahib Tatt Khalsa in Kuala Lumpur.

The programme, for many years held at a venue in Cheras, usually attracts a large number of visitors.

 

RELATED STORY:

Malaysia’s annual Vaisakhi kick-off goes to Klang (Asia Samachar, 14 March 2016)

 

ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |

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