Khusropur, a real match for Sansarpur

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

Khusropur, January 31

If Sansarpur has been known as undivided India’s first and foremost hockey nursery, its immediate neighbour, Khusropur, too, has no less distinctive hockey history.

Situated on the southern periphery of Jalandhar Cantonment and to the east of Sansarpur, about 1.5 km away, this village of 2000 has not only produced seven hockey Olympians, two of whom played for Canada, but also a large number of national and international players.

And starting tomorrow, the Khusropur Sports Club will be playing host to the 14th Invitation Hockey Tournament that carries a cash prize of Rs 31000 for the winners and Rs 21000 for the runners-up team.

Arjuna awardee and Olympian Haripal Kaushik, one of the most prominent hockey player the village has produced since the British introduced hockey here more than 90 years ago, says that the village’s special bondage with the armed forces is reflected in the list of the participating teams in the tournament. Signals, EME, Artillery XI, Madras Regiment, besides Border Security Force, Khusropur XI, Sansarpur XI, Punjab and Sind Bank Academy and Mehli XI have confirmed their participation.

Colonel Haripal Kaushik played for the country in the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympic games. He has been associated with the Indian Hockey Federation in various capacities, including a national selector and a member of the coaching panel also.

Gurmail Singh Rai and his wife Rajbir Kaur are one of hockey couples the game has. While Gurmail was a member of the 1980 Olympic champion Indian team, Rajbir Kaur played a stellar role in helping India win the 1982 Asian games gold medal.

Amarjit Singh Rana, also a member of the 1980 Olympic gold medallist team, belongs to this village. He later migrated to Canada and lives there now. Rajwinder Singh, who settled down in Europe after representing the country in the 1971 World Cup, too, is a Khusropurian.

Jagdev Singh, burly fullback of Punjab police, who represented the country in Barcelona Olympic games, is also from this village. Harbhajan Singh (1984) and Ranjit Singh (1988) represented Canada in the Olympic games.

Piara Singh, Gurdev Singh and Avtar Singh either represented the country or were in national camps.

This unique village has another distinction. It has been a regular feeding channel to defence forces. Now it has a Brigadier, six Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels, 14 Majors/Captains, 15 Junior Commissioned Officers and 100 other ranks – a tremendous contribution indeed. The village has a winner each of the prestigious Military Cross, Vir Chakra, Order of British Empire and mention in dispatches.

Colonel Haripal Kaushik, who has been following the progress of fellow villagers, says that Honorary Captain Narang Singh was perhaps the first outstanding player from the village to make a mark. He participated early in the 20th century in the Punjab Native Infantry Hockey Tournament.

“There used to be a joint Sansarpur-Khusropur Hockey Club in 1900s. It continued till the number of players rose manifold and both the villages then opted for separate hockey clubs. Some of the outstanding pre-partition hockey players of Khusropur were Jaswant Singh, Ishar Singh, Atma Singh, Pandit Mathura Das, Faqir Chand, Pandit Ram Parkash Natha, Gurpartap Singh, Gurdial Singh, Brigadier Sarup Singh, Chanan Singh and Ratan Singh.

“The village has now a stadium, 10-kanal of land for which was given by Colonel Kehar Singh and rightly it has been named after him. Other contributors were Baba Sham Singh and Ram Singh and the rest was the village common land. The Army authorities provided the engineering support for leveling the playfield. It was in 1995 that Khusropur Sports Club came into being,” adds Colonel Kaushik.

Later, Edward Alosiyus, a former goalkeeper of India, settled in the village and started coaching youngsters with a missionary spirit. He continued his good work till he was transferred to Hyderabad, his hometown.