It’s bit like a jigsaw puzzle, especially when you are a 16-year-old hockey player on the cusp of attaining glory for your country in a junior World Cup. There are so many things to think about for the young players before they reach that all important-age when playing for the senior side is the top most priority. And imagine what it was like for the then 16-year-old Inderjeet Chadha when he along with the likes of Gagan Ajeet Singh, Prabhjot Singh, Arjun Halappa and Jugraj Singh won the junior hockey World Cup held at Hobart, Australia in 2001. Chadha was among the few hockey players from the Chandigarh Hockey Academy who were part of the 2001 World Cup winning squad and hogged limelight in the international arena.
After being adjudged the most outstanding player of the 2001 Junior World Cup, it seemed that big things lie ahead for the youngster. And at last the moment of glory came for Chadha when he made his debut for India in the International Prime Minister Tournament held at Dhaka.
“The World Cup win was indeed very special for us. We all gelled well during that time and I guess the fact that Gagan Ajeet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Rajpal Singh along with me, all were from the region which helped us a lot,” shares Chadha who after making his debut for India in Dhakha went on to play some more tournaments such as Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2005 and Pakistan Series in 2005. “It felt great when I made my debut for India in Dhaka. Most of the guys in the team were my team-mates from the junior Indian side. But perhaps, there is more pressure in the senior level and with constant injuries, I could not keep upto the mark,” shares Chadha.
And for the past three years, Chadha has been seen in action while playing for his team Chandigarh Dynamos in the Premier Hockey League. “PHL has provided a nice platform or players like us. I play along side Rajpal and Deepak for Chandigarh Dynamos and I guess it keeps me match fit.
The game is fast and we also get a chance to play with international players,” comments Chadha. But he has not left the hope for playing for India again.” There are still few more years of hockey left in me and I am sure if I perform well in domestic tournaments and PHL, I will again stand a chance,” says Chadha.
And the man behind the success of junior players like Rajpal Singh, Deepak Thakur and Inderjeet Chadha, NS Sodhi, hockey coach believes that it was perhaps the occurrence of injuries and also the presence of forwards such as Prabhjot Singh, Rajpal Singh and Deepak Thakur which stalled Chadha’s career. “He started his career on a bright note displaying fine form in the Dhaka tournament where he made his debut.