Whether unleashing a flick or foiling an opposition foray, Sandeep Singh exudes a rare poise, though fully aware that he is perennially under the scanner. In all fairness, his detractors can’t be blamed entirely, for drag-flickers are a rare tribe in India. But Sandeep has done enough to silence the critics.

India’s drag-flickers seem to be jinxed. Just when the national team had unearthed the talented Jugraj Singh, he met with an unfortunate accident. Though Jugraj staged a comeback, he was not quite the same. Then the selectors stumbled upon another quality flicker in Sandeep and, to his credit, he has not allowed Jugraj’s absence to be felt.

Unfortunately, while Sandeep was travelling by the Kalka-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, the service pistol of an assistant sub-inspector went off accidentally and the bullet struck his right hip, damaging the spine. Along with Rajpal Singh, Sandeep was on his way to join the 2006 World Cup camp. India’s hopes sustained a severe jolt, from which the team couldn’t recover and the team finished 11th among 12 sides.

Sandeep waged a battle for survival and eventually emerged victorious, though the scars still hurt him. “I was in hospital for almost three months. My legs were totally immobile and some doctors told me that I wouldn’t be able to move for years, let alone play hockey. I used to have nightmares, waking up in the middle of the night. Emotionally and physically, those days were draining. But a few doctors and my relatives supported me and instilled hope in me. If not for them, I wouldn’t have been able to stage a comeback,” he recollects.

Fortunately for Sandeep, the Haryana government bore the hospital expenses and the Indian Hockey Federation paid for Sandeep’s physiotherapy and rehabilitation in the Netherlands. His family bore the rest of his expenses, which almost landed them in bankruptcy. Even more distressing were the premature epitaphs in the media.

“Almost everybody wrote me off. They said I would never be able to recover fully and that I would never don India colours again. I was a shattered man in those days,” he reflects.

The 23-year-old was devastated, but not disillusioned. The burning desire to play for India sustained him. His rehabilitation stint in the Netherlands was fruitful. “I was asked not to hasten the recovery process. I had to improve my fitness slowly. Physiotherapy in the Netherlands was instrumental in helping me return to the turf,” he says.

Within 10 months, Sandeep had recovered fully. The paucity of drag-flickers was such that he was selected almost immediately, for the Champions Challenger in Boom.

Though not at his best, he showed promising signs. However, a back injury at the beginning of the preparatory camp for Asia Cup put further questions marks on his fitness. He recovered fast enough to play for the German club Frankenthall, but evaded Indian camps, raising doubts over his attitude. Resultantly, he was not picked for India’s disastrous Olympic-qualifier campaign in Santiago. Some claim that then coach Joaquim Carvalho did not want him.

“I did not participate in camps because I was injured. I was fit for the qualifiers, but the management didn’t want me. They forgot my worth and they didn’t know how to utilise me,” he says. But how long can you conceal a player of Sandeep’s talent? With Indian hockey in dire need of a drag-flicker, Sandeep was brought back for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. And he made the difference, emerging the tournament’s top-scorer with nine goals and helping India finish second. His confidence is back and Sandeep is ready for new challenges. “I haven’t set any personal milestones. But I would like to witness Indian hockey’s resurgence and contribute to it,” he says.

Name : Sandeep Singh
Age : 23
Nationality: India
Position : Full-back
Club : Frankenthall

PRINTED ARTICLE

NEW INDIAN EXPRESS