Gurjot Singh Shines in Debut for Indian Men’s Hockey Team at Asian Champions Trophy 2024
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 26: Gurjot Singh, a 19-year-old, recently made his debut for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in Moqi, China. The young forward was called up from the Junior Team, while Harmanpreet and company were in Paris for the Olympics, after his eye-catching performances during trials at the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Gurjot played all 7 matches of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024. Although he was unlucky not to score a goal, he showed immense dedication and hard work on the pitch. Gurjot said, “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 Gurjot that there was no need to overthink or be scared; he just needed to play how he usually plays in camp, with freedom and without worrying about making mistakes.
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 Indian Junior Men’s Hockey 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 Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024.
With the 12th Sultan of Johor Cup 2024 and the Men’s Junior Asia Cup Muscat 2024 imminent, Gurjot has turned his attention back to the Junior Team. He added, “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.”
Doubts Revealed
Gurjot Singh -: Gurjot Singh is a young hockey player from India who recently started playing for the Indian Men’s Hockey Team.
Debut -: Debut means the first time someone performs or plays in a particular event or team.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team -: This is the national team of India that plays the sport of hockey.
Asian Champions Trophy 2024 -: This is a hockey tournament where the best teams from Asia compete against each other. The 2024 edition is happening in Moqi, China.
Forward -: In hockey, a forward is a player who plays near the opponent’s goal and tries to score goals.
Junior Team -: The Junior Team is a team made up of younger players who are being trained to eventually play for the main national team.
Roundglass Hockey Academy -: This is a place where young hockey players are trained and coached to become better at the sport.
Junior championships -: These are competitions where younger players compete against each other to win titles and gain experience.