Gurjinder eyes Sr team slot

Since then,Gurjinder has been a part of the senior Indian team in the World Hockey League Round 2 and also the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Despite some heart-warming performances,Gurjinder found his name missing from the list of probables for the Dutch tour.

He has,however,once again made a comeback to the junior national team that will tour Europe from May 23 to June 5. Delighted at the development,Gurjinder,19,is hopeful of hitting peak form during the European Tour before the all-important Junior World Cup,to be held in India later this year. “I was disappointed when I was dropped from the senior team for the Dutch tour,but then that’s part of the game. I was not fully fit and during the last two months,I have worked on my fitness. The tour to Europe will give us a chance to compete against five of the teams that are taking part in the Junior World Cup later this year,and I believe that I can play an important role for the team. I am still 19 and have two more years to play at the junior level. However,I am ready to serve the senior team whenever they seek my services,” shared Gurjinder,who had scored 19 goals in the World Series of Hockey. Singh has been training under newly-appointed junior hockey Indian foreign coach,Greg Clarke of South Africa,along with Indian coach,Baljeet Singh Saini,in Bengaluru. Along with Gagandeep Singh and captain Amit Rohildas,Gurjinder is one of the three drag-flickers in the team.

“Baljeet sir has been working with us during the camp and his inputs have helped me a lot. He acts as the bridge between us and Clarke,and we have benefited a lot from the type of regime that Clarke has made for us. He has made us work on our fitness and being in the best shape will be the key during the European Tour. We will play against teams like Netherlands and Germany that have physically towering and more athletic players. I spent some time with Prabhjot paaji and he along with Devesh sir has been helpful. I talked with Sandeep paaji a few days ago and he is eager to see me back in the Indian senior side,” he shared.

Gurjinder was the top-scorer for the Punjab senior side that won the title in last year’s Nationals at Bengaluru,but has not been successful in keeping a place in the senior national team along with other CFHA teammate Rupinderpal Singh. “It was like a roller-coaster ride for me last year. I missed the Junior Malaysian tour due to an ankle injury just the previous day before the team’s departure in late 2011,but then WSH happened. Everything happended so quickly that I did not get the time to bask in the joy of being the tournament’s top scorer and the winner of the cash prize. I just could not believe my luck. However,then came the ban and I had to sit at my home in Batala for more than six months. It taught me a lot of things,including patience. I want to play with Sandeep paji in the senior team” signed-off Singh.

nitin.sharma@expressindia.com