CHENNAI: 2016 was a landmark year for Indian hockey. Barring a below-par performance at the Olympics in Rio, the men’s team won its maiden Champions Trophy silver medal in June. That win propelled India to number five in International Hockey Federation’s (FIHs) rankings. But what surprised one and all was when the junior boys beat Belgium in December to win the Junior World Cup. It gave the country, once one of the strongest teams in the world, hope. The future looked bright.
A lot of the boys who created history in Lucknow, have gone on to represent the senior team. Except one — Santa Singh. The 21-year-old who was highly rated and one of the unsung heroes of the Junior World Cup never made it. With India announcing six uncapped players for the upcoming tour of Belgium and Netherlands, Santa once again missed out. But that hasn’t demotivated the midfielder.
On Monday, sporting the yellow and black of Punjab and Sind Bank, Santa was sweating it out at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium during the 91st All India Murugappa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament. A product of the famed Namdhari Hockey Academy in Ludhiana, Santa is patient and ready to wait.
“Playing from a very young age at the academy has made me realise that success doesn’t come overnight. I was in good form during the Junior Hockey World Cup. But that’s the past and I have to move on. I can’t expect to be picked just because I had one good outing. Since then, I have had some injury troubles also. I was never able to give my 100 per cent. But I feel fitter now. I have played one national tournament and this is my first time at Murugappa. I hope I can make an impact here,” Santa told Express.
The Namdhari academy in Ludhiana has churned out quite a few international players over the years. Away from all the luxuries of life, the success rate of this academy comes down to one main aspect — discipline. “More than the strict rules, it is the togetherness of players that is helping us become world beaters. We all come from the same background and lead our lives together. I have reached so far because of the years of training I underwent there,” he said.
Since that memorable night in Lucknow, Santa has played with different players and coaches, something that has helped him develop. But having a conversation with the lad will give away the fact that he still abides by the rules that were taught in Namdhari. “It’s interesting to play under people who have different philosophies. It was difficult to adapt. But I still follow the basics, In Namdhari, we were taught to be unique. Because that’s what we do. I won’t change my style just to fit in.”
Results: Matchday 5: Hockey Bengaluru 3 (VR Raghunath, Sandeep K Singh, Rajkumar Pal) bt Punjab and Sind Bank 0. Indian Railways 4 (Karan Pal Singh, Pardeep Singh, Raju Pal (2) bt Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu 0.