Chachrari village academy tapping young talent
A hockey academy at Chachrari village near Jagraon in this district is a nursery for young talent, offering them training free of cost. It is being run with the aim that its trainees would make it to the Indian team one day.
Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Hockey Academy, Chachrari village, instils a sense of sportsmanship in youth from the village and around and offers training to two groups — under 14 years and under 17 years.
Honing the talent of more than 100 girls and boys, the academy has been helping them win accolades at state and national levels. Most trainees are from Chachrari itself.
The academy is bearing the expenses of players, including food, equipment and apparel. Not only this, a fully fledged hostel facility is also being offered to around 40 players where they are provided accommodation and food.
The entire expenses of running the academy are being borne by non-resident Indians (NRIs), villagers and some other donors.
Malkit Singh, a former sarpanch of Chachrari, while taking to The Tribune here on Thursday, said initially, a sports ground was developed on 3 acres of government land during the SAD regime in the year 2017. SAD MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali was the key person behind the project. He had developed around 70 such grounds in the Dakha Assembly constituency. For the past several years, the sports ground has been dedicated to hockey training to village youth.
“We have two hockey grounds. One of them is being prepared for laying an artificial turf in the coming months. Once astro turf is laid, which may cost over Rs 1 crore, it will become the only hockey ground in Ludhiana matching international standards,” added Singh.
The ex-sarpanch said players from the academy had brought laurels to the village at state and national events. The academy secured the second position at state-level tournaments in Dhudike, Moga, and Ludhiana in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Even two players of the academy — Rajat and Manvir Singh Manna — played at national level in under-14 category. A budding player, Kamaljit Kaur, made it to the Punjab under-14 team and played at national level in Lucknow this year. In 2024, two trainees of the academy were part of the Punjab under-14 team that competed at national level.
Malkit Singh claimed that the academy stood first in the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan this year. Two players of the academy, Dilpreet Singh and Gaganpreet Singh, were recently selected by prestigious Olympian Surjit Hockey Academy, Jalandhar, and the Punjab Institute of Sports, respectively, where they would be imparted training.
The academy has two full-time coaches — Sukhjinder Singh Kaka, a retired Army man, and Kulwinder Singh, who was part of the hockey team that won gold in Asia Cup held in Malaysia in 2018. Davinder Singh from Chachrari village was also part of the team.
The former sarpanch said the Round Glass Foundation had also adopted the Chachrari academy and provided hockey sticks, shoes, jerseys and all other required equipment free of cost to the players. Representatives of Round Glass had visited the academy a few years ago and on seeing the dedication of players and management of the ground, they decided to contribute towards training of the budding players.
“Members of the Indian hockey teams and other veteran players also visit the academy to motivate its players. Even two village youths, Sukhi Panesar and Balraj Panesar, who play for Canada, hold training sessions at the academy whenever they visit India,” claimed Malkit Singh.
Punjab