Back from wilderness, Sanjay aims to fill big shoes

Sanjay had emerged as the most promising Indian player from the 2021 Junior Hockey World Cup. With eight goals, including two hat-tricks, the drag-flicker was the highest scorer for India and the third highest in the tournament.

It seemed like the right moment for Sanjay to make his senior India debut. Penalty corner (PC) specialist Rupinder Pal Singh had just retired after winning a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics. The slot for the second drag-flicker after India skipper Harmanpreet Singh alternated among Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Varun, Jarmanpreet Singh, among others. But nobody’s feet seemed good enough to fill the big shoes of Rupinder.

But that opportunity never came for Sanjay.

“The competition is tough. I wasn’t worried that I wasn’t selected for India. I was extra motivated when the call up didn’t come. I just focussed on working hard and not make mistakes. I decided to not give selectors any reason to not select me whether they were reasons related to game or fitness,” says the 22-year-old.

Sanjay, who hails from Dabra village near Hisar in Haryana, decided to grind it out in the domestic circuit. The defender impressed the scouts, who selected him in the list of 60 probables in 2022. Within a month’s time, he had made it to the elusive core group of 33 from which the Indian team is selected.

Sanjay got a chance to represent India, albeit in the shorter format, when he helped his team win the inaugural FIH Hockey5s in June 2022. Not selected for the main, longer format of the game, Sanjay again went back to domestic hockey. He also took a difficult decision to shift his team from Chandigarh, which he represented throughout his junior years, to Haryana.

After Graham Reid left following India’s debacle at the World Cup in January, new chief coach Craig Fulton got a month’s time in April-May where the Haryana youngster did enough to earn the confidence of the South African. Sanjay also impressed the RP Singh-led selection committee in the trials in April where he scored goals in all three matches as well as cleared the Yo-Yo test with flying colours.

After a wait of one-and-a-half years since playing the Junior World Cup, Sanjay was finally selected to play the European swing of the Pro League in May-June that was held in London and Eindhoven. Out of India’s eight matches, Sanjay played seven where he also scored his first goal against Netherlands, helping India win four games.

“His performance was excellent. It didn’t even look like he was debuting for India, such was his confidence. He played upfront and also in the midfield. It takes time for any new player to fit into the system, but he did very well,” says Gurminder Singh, coach of the Chandigarh Hockey Academy (CHA) where Sanjay trained from 2011 to 2017 before joining the junior national setup.

Asked if he can fill the void left by Rupinder, who was also Gurminder’s student, the coach added: “Definitely. He has always been a top goal-scorer in his junior days whichever tournament he went to. He wasn’t given that many chances to display his skills during penalty corners (in Europe) but he will deliver when his time comes. I am sure of that.”

Apart from Rupinder, Gurminder has also produced the likes of former internationals Gurjinder Singh and Dharamvir Singh and current India player and Olympic bronze medallist Gurjant Singh at the Sector 42 academy.

Sanjay still discusses hockey whenever he gets a chance with his childhood coach. “He keeps telling me to avail all chances by playing well and with confidence. He always tells me to not think too far ahead and to focus on the current tournament, improve match by match,” says Sanjay.

The drag-flicker has made the cut for the 39 core probables out of which the Indian team for the Asian Champions Trophy, that will be held in Chennai in August, will be selected, keeping him in strong contention to get selected for the Asian Games squad too.

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