Hockey has never been a focus point when it comes to sports but the recent trends in Bollywood and on the field show that the wheels of fortune for the game are turning.
Chak De India to Soorma, the big guns in the trade are actually investing time, money and talent to create onscreen portraits of lesser known hockey heroes who deserve all the limelight.
As someone who likes reading about films and a not so avid sports fanatic, when I first saw Soorma’s trailer I presumed it was just another creative story helmed by a man like Shaad Ali. Once I started digging a little further I realized this was about a real life hockey hero named Sandeep Singh.
Played by singer cum actor Diljit Dosanjh, Soorma is the story of one of the greatest hockey comebacks of all time Sandeep Singh. A man who not just saw doom from close quarters but he cheated destiny to comeback on the hockey field to bag the title of ‘Flicker Singh.’
It’s been 12 years since that fateful day when a tragic accident proved a momentary turning point in Sandeep’s life on 2006, August 26.
Having a narrow escape aboard a train, a wheelchair bound Sandeep just managed to escape paralysis.
Sandeep was a player with a promise. Having debuted in international hockey in 2004, his career was on the boom. On way to join the national squad ahead of a departure to Germany to play the FIH World Cup, life took an ugly turn.
Travelling on the Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express a Railway Protection Force jawan accidentally shot him. One bullet did unimaginable damage. It damaged his spine, kidneys and liver. Doctors had rung the death knell for him. Was no longer fit to play the game he loved the most.
Lying in his hospital bed at PGIMER Chandigarh he made himself a promise that he will get back on his feet and play.
After two years in a wheelchair, strenuous exercising and proper treatment he was back up on his feet. Returning to the national team in 2008, a year later he was captain of the Indian national team. Under his captaincy, India won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2009 after 13 long years. By stroking six of India’s twelve goals, he was declared Player of the Tournament. With physical agility, firness and an iron will now he was in the reckoning for the 2012 London Olympics.
Life for Sandeep after the London Olympics was not very rosy. After a hard fought loss he was out of favour and sidelined for nine months. Dropped from the Asian Champions Trophy, Azlan Shah Cup, Champions Trophy and World League Round 2, cricketer Harbhajan Singh entered his life as an angel. It was bhajji as he is popular as who said that he must spend quality time with family.
He returned to the national-fold for the FIH World League Round 3 in Netherlands.
In 2013, with the launch of the Hockey India League, the Mumbai Magicians bought him for $64,400 – the fifth highest-paid marquee player. Sandeep scored 11 goals from 12 appearances becoming the top scorer at the event.
Opening a floodgate of opportunities he was signed by the English field hockey club, Havant Hockey Club. Relocating to UK in 2014 he scored 24 goals for his team, becoming Havant’s top scorer.
Bought by Punjab warriors in 2014, followed by Ranchi Rays life was on a different high by now. His international forays included playing for St George Randwick Hockey Club in Australia and for Harvard Hockey Club in England in 2017.
Aiming for the Eye of the Tiger Sandeep practiced as long as he could. His passion for the Olympics made him emboss the five Olympic rings on his wrist.
Leading a stellar pack, it was under Singh that India qualified after eight years with a resounding victory over France in the finals of the qualifiers. Sandeep scored five goals – including a hat-trick entering sporting history books with a a 16-goal haul – the highest in the qualifiers.
From a wheelchair bound man who lost almost 40 percent of body weight to becoming one of India’s most dangerous dragflickers, Sandeep’s story is one that was waiting to be told. He went on to win the moniker ‘Flicker Singh’ with drag speeds of over 145 km/hour.
Reportedly actor/singer Diljit Dosanjh spent four months training with Sandeep Singh for the role. Even Diljit did not know about the struggles of Sandeep till he read the script.
Ahead of his film release he had been spotted on a train only recently with Director of Soorma, Shaad Ali and actor Diljit Dosanjh.
Even Sandeep Singh’s wife Harjinder sacrificed her own career as a hockey player for domesticity.
The two had met on the hockey grounds in their hometown Shahabad in Haryana’s Kurukshetra district. A long courtship ended in an engagement in 2008, followed by marriage.
After the birth of their son Sehajdeep, there was no going back to the game. But Harjinder has had no regrets.
He is now a consultant and a technical adviser to ‘Collectives for Integrated Livelihoods’ an initiative by the Tata Trust for grassroots hockey development in Jamshedpur.
When not playing, he doubles up as a 32-year-old defender and a DSP with the Haryana police.
His next big aim is to set up a rehab centre for sportspersons in recovery. He has already written to Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
In 2010, India recognized his contributions to field hockey with the Arjuna Award. As silverscreen celebrates legends like him, one can only hope that the game of hockey will get greater recognition and respect and not be a national game only on paper.
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