The Tribune: Hero’s welcome

By Anirudh Gupta

A couple of days after India’s historic junior hockey World Cup win, Parvinder Singh, one of the team’s strikers, returned to Ferozepur to a hero’s welcome today.

Parvinder belongs to Sodhewala village, which is situated on the outskirts of the town. Parvinder, known as Pindi among his teammates, took up hockey at the age of 10 when he joined Baba Shershahwali academy here.

The academy’s coach, Manpreet Singh Rubal, said that Parvinder’s achievement will revive the sport’s legacy in the border town. Hundreds of the town’s youth, for whom Parvinder has become an icon, could be seen dancing in joy. “It’s a dream come true,” said Parvinder. “But I still feel it is a dream and not real.”