Bengaluru, Sep 26 (IANS) Gurjot Singh, a 19-year-old, who made his debut for the Indian men’s hockey team at the Asian Champions Trophy in Moqi, China, believes that this experience will help him in upcoming tournaments such as Sultan of Johor Cup and Asia Cup.

The young forward was called up from the Junior Team after his eye-catching performances during trial in SAI. Gurjot went on to play all 7 matches of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and although he was unlucky to not score a goal, he gave a good account of himself and showed immense dedication and hardwork on the pitch.

"The atmosphere in the senior team is very good, all the seniors are like bigger brothers who keep the mood light most of the time. It was a dream debut for me at the Asian Champions Trophy, I was excited to play against China, thought I would score a goal on my debut but even though I couldn’t, I gave my best in the game and it was a good outing.

"Harmanpreet Singh, before the game, assured me that there is no need to overthink or be scared; I just need to play how I usually play in camp, play with freedom and not think about making mistakes," Gurjot revealed.

Gurjot hails from Husainabad, a small village in Punjab. His father is a milkman in a village nearby, his mother is a homemaker and his sisters are pursuing their studies. As a kid, Gurjot was very naughty. He even got into a life-threatening accident on his bicycle when he was 6 years old. The accident left him with seven stitches on the back of his head.

"After the accident, I had a bit of weakness for a few years but by the time I was 10 years old, I recovered completely and began studying in a government school nearby. At school, I noticed that the kids who played hockey got a little more freedom. They would come late to class and leave a little early for practice, so I thought why not try my hand at the sport," he recalled with a smile on his face.

But by 2020, Gurjot had to start working in a footwear factory to support his dad. He would practice in the morning and work at night. Later that year, at a local tournament, Gurjot faced off against future teammates Abhishek and Sukhjeet. He was also informed during the game that Roundglass Hockey Academy would be conducting trials the next day. Gurjot packed his bags and set off to impress the coaches at the trial in Jalandhar.

As a Roundglass Hockey Academy player, Gurjot played in the 1st Hockey India Junior Men Academy National Championship 2021 in Bhopal and caught the eye of selectors to make it to the junior Team. Since then he has played in the 2023 Sultan of Johor Cup, Men's Hockey5s Asia Cup Salalah 2023, FIH Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 and most recently, the Asian Champions Trophy 2024.

With the 12th Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 and the junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 imminent, Gurjot has turned his attention back to the junior team.

"The Hero Asian Champions Trophy was a good learning experience, I got to know the demands of the senior team first-hand. It was no doubt a dream debut for me, as we won all matches and the title too but there is still a long way to go and have much to improve. I have to work on my movement in the circle, be quicker in pressing on opponents, and increase my speed on the ball," he said.

"My parents have seen some tough times but have always supported me. It felt great to be able to repay their faith in me with the cash award we received after our triumph in China. The 12th Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 and the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 are coming up soon and I want to apply things I learnt with the senior team to perform well," Gurjot signed off.