Young Sanjay to shoulder big responsibility in Paris

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New Delhi: Sanjay woke up with gripping anxiety on the morning of June 26, the day the Indian hockey squad for Paris Olympics was to be announced. Fellow defender and drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, who is his more experienced senior, was expected to get the vote of the selectors and chief coach Craig Fulton ahead of him.

However, the Indian hockey community was in for a surprise as the 23-year-old Sanjay, who only made his India debut last year, was selected for his maiden Olympics after playing only 35 internationals, making him the 16-member squad’s youngest and most inexperienced player.

While some criticised the decision, it came as a pleasant surprise for the Haryana youngster, who hails from Dabra village in Hisar district.

“Since the time I started playing hockey it has been my dream to play in the Olympics. It is the biggest event ever. Everyone dreams of going to the Olympics and winning a medal. I am very proud and happy. I have the feeling I will do well in my first Olympics,” said Sanjay, who helped India win the Asian Games gold last year.

Sanjay will be India’s second penalty corner (PC) specialist at Paris, partnering the brilliant Harmanpreet Singh, who has long been counted as one of the best in the world.

It is normal for top teams to have at least two, if not more, world-class drag-flickers in their arsenal. Australia have Jeremy Hayward, Blake Govers and Rintala Joel. Olympic champions Belgium possesses the world’s best PC specialist Alexander Hendrickx, Loick Luypert and Tom Boon. Great Britain can fall back on Nicholas Bandurak and Sam Ward.

India, however, have struggled on that front since Tokyo, having tried Sanjay, Jugraj, Amit Rohidas, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Varun Kumar, Neelam Sanjeep Xess and Dipsan Tirkey. But unfortunately, ever since Rupinder Pal Singh’s retirement post the bronze medal win three years ago, no one has been able to fill in his big shoes, leaving a big void in India’s PC battery.

It is vital for India to have another option or Harmanpreet could get countered by the opposition as he was in the 2023 World Cup. That is exactly where Sanjay comes in. Sanjay’s childhood coach, Gurminder Singh, feels his protege can deliver at the world’s biggest stage.

“The selection panel must have seen something if they have selected Sanjay. Yes, it’ll be a new experience for him, but he has played against all top teams in the Pro League,” said Gurminder, coach of the Chandigarh Hockey Academy (CHA) where Sanjay trained from 2011 to 2017 before joining the national setup.

Coincidentally, Rupinder is also a product of Gurminder and CHA as are Olympic bronze medallist Gurjant Singh, Gurjinder Singh and Dharamvir Singh.

“Sanjay’s senses come alive during a PC. Apart from having strength for flicks, he has ball sense, peripheral vision about first rusher and the goalkeeper, knows how to create angles – everything you need to be a good drag-flicker. He is a mature and clever boy who knows how to handle pressure,” added Gurminder.

It has been learnt that Sanjay, one of the finds of the 2021 Junior World Cup, impressed the selectors in the trials, both as a defender and PC specialist. His scooping, drag-flicks, dribbling were some of the abilities that influenced the RP Singh-led selection committee in Bengaluru last month.

“The coach has trusted my abilities. I’ll try to play my best hockey in Paris. The trials went well. I scored goals, my flicks went well. In earlier matches too, I coordinated well with Harman bhai for backdoor PC goals,” said Sanjay, whose parents are farmers.

Sanjay’s ability to defend fearlessly also helped him get the nod from the selectors. The 23-year-old is known in the domestic circuit for his man-to-man marking, isn’t afraid to take a hit and often making sure neither the attacker nor the ball escape him.

“I may be the youngest, but I have played many matches now. I am coordinating well with the team, the on-field understanding is good,” said Sanjay. “And I know how to perform under pressure.”