Sansarpur comes alive with Ravi Pal back on the turf

Talking about the vain glory of Sansarpur – this hamlet in Punjab produced good number of players three decades ago – during the ongoing Azlan Shah Cup tournament might strike a jarring note, but there is no escape from it as one sights the Ravi Pal Singh on the Azlan Shah stadium turf.

Sansarpur is a past glory which has no meaning now – comparable only to 8-Olympic gold medals of India feeling — but we know most former Sansarpur Olympians shout from rooftop, they keep the Sansarpur legacy in the news constantly, though this vain glory served no purpose

Because, this village near Jalandhar hardly produced any international player in the last three decades, I repeat last three decades, and the try spell thankfully comes to an end with the induction of Ravi Pal in the team.

Ravi Pal is a Sansarpurian.

Born in this hamlet, Ravi Pal could not have escaped hockey, and once when it stuck then there was no stopping either. Got into the Punjab and Sind Bank Academy in Jalandhar and then had been inducted into their senior team and in the bank rolls, all smooth progress.

However, graduating to national side was not easy, once was considered good enough to be in a Junior World Cup probables list, but the ice wouldn’t break. This was achieved belatedly when his team’s coach Rajinder Singh Jr. became the national coach and he had to go for fresh hand as he was denied junior players for the senior national team.

Ravi Pal then came into the team for the 2005 Mini-World Cup, figured in the Chennai Champions trophy, and the spell came to an end shortly.

Then, after the Chile disaster he was remembered, there was an Australian tour even as Gill’s regime was being dismantled; but he was hardly used in not more than two of the eight matches before again dumped. It was unfair to any player, but in those times coach Carvalho had a field day – he is only coach in the recent history to have full freedom to select his team – and he would never have to explain to anybody why a player who is good enough to be recalled is not good enough to be given chance to play!

After almost a year’s lull, Harendera Singh remembered and recalled for the Argentina test series, only to be dropped for the Punjab Gold Cup, and then once and for all he was not in the scheme of things.

Now Ravi Pal is back, statistically fourth comeback. He is no longer younger, younger only to Arjun Halappa and Bharat Chetri in the team doing duty here.

This must add extra pressure on Ravi Pal to deliver.

If the performance here in Azlan Shah is any yardstick, Ravi Pal certainly deserves good marks, he even came up with a timely goal.

Meanwhile, let me not forget how we started – with a tinge on Sansarpur.

Now we only hope Ravi Pal was selected as the team needed him most, not because two Sansarpurians masquerade as Selectors!