If Not For Hockey, I Could Have Been One (Addict): Sardar Singh

Sardar said the impact of drugs was visible across Punjab. “It’s been quite a while since I have travelled across the state. But Punjab had acquired a name… For instance, the physique of any normal person used to be so great. Dekhne mein maza aata tha (You felt good just looking at that). But now, these things have become less so,” the 29-year-old said. When asked if there was any link between the rise in use of drugs and hockey’s decline in Punjab, Sardar said he “believed so”. Sansarpur and Shahbad were among hockey hotbeds in Punjab and Haryana but the talent pool emerging from these nurseries has reduced considerably, he said.