Son of a coolie, drag-flicker Jugraj Singh let his hat-trick talk on Hockey Pro League debut

The team could have a pat on their back as their successful campaign place them third in the pool standings of the Pro-League, with just Netherlands and Belgium ahead. But beyond the nitty-gritty of results, stood a significant revelation. It was the addition of the young drag-flicker, Jugraj Singh, into the side.

Following the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the most prominent name in the Indian defence, Rupinderpal Singh, known for his blazing drag-flick qualities, hung up his boots.

Coach Graham Reid, was in search of his next Rupinder who could juice up the battery consisting of the likes of Harmanpreet Singh and Varun Kumar. And the 26-year-old turned out to be the right fit.

Several from the U-21 team were in line to enter the senior side, but Reid had particularly observed Jugraj's speed in the 1st Senior Men Inter-Department National Championship 2021, which helped him to make the cut.

In the second game of the league against the hosts, the youngster struck a hat-trick of goals of the three opportunities he got for converting penalty corners. Had the technology for hockey been as advanced as that of cricket, his drag-flicking speed would have been the talk of the town.

Three penalty corners in the 4th, 6th and 23rd minutes had torn apart the inexperienced South African defence, who couldn't be seen excelling in a rush to block the blitzkriegs that were only put into rest inside the goalpost. It almost seemed Yugraj, instead of patiently waiting for the injection to come towards him, lunged those powerful strokes sprinting towards the ball.

On papers, he is India's fastest drag-flicker, as his domestic coach of Indian Navy, Ajay Kumar proclaimed the information to The Indian Express.

From Nationals to directly Pro League, Jugraj has come a long way and seems to have made a lasting impression for him to be a part of the busy roster that has the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games lined up.

"Making my debut in an important event like FIH Hockey Pro League was definitely an emotional moment for me and getting a hat-trick only in my second game for India (against South Africa) was very special," he said in a release issued by Hockey India. "It's amazing how much support I have received from the entire team and I believe there is a lot for me to learn from each of their experiences."

Coming from a humble background, Jugraj has battled many challenges in his journey to become an India player. His father worked for daily wages as a 'coolie' at the border in Attari. Living in the border area between India and Pakistan, also had its own set of challenges. Jugraj's family often had to vacate their house and seek refuge somewhere else when tensions grew around the border.

The youngest of five siblings, Jugraj is the only one in the family to choose sports as a career and it was only after he shifted to a sports hostel at the young age of 11 that his life started to change.

He went on to earn a job in the Indian Navy from where his career took shape, playing domestic matches. "There has been a lot of struggle and hard work to get till here and I am prepared to work harder to make a place in the team. My father was a coolie at the border, and it was really tough for him to manage everything," he said.

I started playing hockey at the age of six. I used to play with my friends in the village, then I got to know about Baba Uttam Singh National Hockey Academy in Khadur Sahib, where everything was offered free of cost, from hockey to studies to food to everything. "I felt this might help me improve my life. I thought if not sports, then at least a good qualification would help get a respectable job." Jugraj told in an interaction with PTI.

At the Khadur Sahib hostel, Jugraj honed his skills under coach Balkar Singh. After some years, he got an internship at the Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Delhi and played in various tournaments for almost three years. Then, in 2016, he got a job in the Indian Navy, which changed the course of his life.

"Hockey has changed my life since the day I took up that hockey stick. It has really uplifted my family's financial conditions," he said. Jugraj plied his trade for the Services Sports Control Board in the domestic circuit.

During Services Sports Control Board's gold medal-winning campaign at the 10th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship 2020 (A division), Jugraj was awarded the Best Player of the Tournament for his performance.

Jugraj's performance, and particularly his drag-flicking ability brought a rush of nostalgia for all those who have been following Indian hockey for long. It reminds them of his namesake - the 2000's Jugraj Singh, also a brilliant drag-flicker who stood out for his speed. His career ended in 2003 after a life-threatening road accident.

India's new Jugraj Singh has already shown his potential with an entire year of hockey yet left to be played, it would be interesting to see how well and how soon does he step into the shoes of Rupinderpal, consistently.

(With inputs from PTI)