Being a support — DSO to needy players’ aid

District Sports Officer (DSO) Gurpreet Singh hails from Sansarpur, a village that has churned out 14 Olympians. It will be no exaggeration if the village is called ‘the cradle of Indian hockey’.

There is something in the air of Sansarpur that none from the village can stay away from sports. Gurpreet is no exception. But what sets him class apart is that he not only provided training to the students for free in his village even when he had no proper job, he also doesn’t shy away to help needy children today. He earmarks some part of his salary for bright players, who cannot afford costly equipment or diet.

Gurpreet’s paternal uncle was an international hockey player and he was just six years of age when he hit the ground first. “I was so mesmerised with the world there,” he shared. Ever since, he nursed a dream to become a good sportsperson.

During the sporting journey, he was coached by Olympians Udham Singh and Jagjit Singh. “I was influenced by Jagjit Singh who had won Olympics at the age of 18. I learned a lot from him and started participating in tournaments. I won several medals too,” he told The Tribune.

Gurpreet then joined Lyalpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, and continued his game as well. The Steel Authority of India later enrolled him as a player. Later, he played for the FCI, Delhi, on contract.

“I then joined the National Institute of Sports, Bangalore. After completing a one-year course there, I returned to my village and imparted free training to players for seven months,” he said.

During this period, the strength of trainees increased from 15 to above 100. “There were 35 girls and 85 boys. I was so happy about it,” he added.

“In 2010, I was approached by Surjit Hockey Academy and appointed as a coach-cum-warden. After spending four years at the Jalandhar academy, I landed a government job. I was selected as junior coach and joined my birthplace Sansarpur,” he said.

When he got the government job, he started saving money for needy players and helped them out. It was in 2018 when he became the officiating DSO of Hoshiarpur that he started meeting players personally. He informed them about their rights and the benefits they could derive under various government schemes.

However, he did not find the transition from being a coach to handling an office easy. “It took me quite a time to adjust to the new environment. But when I did, I started new initiatives,” he said.

In Hoshiarpur, he restarted a residential wing for sportspersons, which was lying closed for five years. Even though he is posted in Jalandhar, he keeps looking for opportunities to contribute wherever he can.

Gurpreet wishes to start water sports in Hoshiarpur. For Jalandhar, the DSO has been trying since long for the renovation of the sports school hostel. “Besides renovation of the sports school hostel, starting a football wing for boys at the government sports college in Jalandhar is on my priority list now,” he signed off.

Punjab