The Tribune: Punjabi roots drive Canada colts to play hockey

Indervir Grewal

Before his team’s biggest match of the World Cup, against home favourites India, Canada’s coach Indy Sehmbi said that his team didn’t fear the hosts and would play with heart.

“India is the second oldest team when it comes to average age. We are the youngest,” Sehmbi said. “But more importantly, it’s a match between a team that had a lot of money spent on it and one that had the least amount spent on it,” he added.

The Indian junior men’s hockey team doesn’t get the same attention from the federation as the senior team gets. The juniors don’t get enough international exposure and till very recently they didn’t even have a physical trainer. This year being the World Cup year, the situation improved.

In Canada, the situation is worse. While the senior team gets some funding from the government, the juniors get almost no support; and there are not many sponsors, Sehmbi added.

In fact, the Canadian players ended up spending from their own pockets to get to the World Cup. “They spent 10 thousand (Canadian) dollars each to play in the qualifiers,” he said.

Hockey heritage

How did they convince their parents to spend such a huge amount? “We didn’t have to because they have supported us from the beginning,” said Harbir Kahlon, one of the nine Punjabi-origin players in the team that includes 12 players of Indian origin. Kahlon, born and brought up in Canada, has his roots in a village near Sangrur. Despite only two of the players with Punjabi roots being born in India, Sehmbi said that the Punjabi hockey legacy has a big role to play in kids taking up the sport in Canada.

“Most of these guys picked up hockey because their fathers or grandfathers or uncles used to play the sport. They love the game and feel proud that they are carrying on with the family’s legacy,” Sehmbi said.

In fact, many of the Punjabi boys’ parents or relatives came to watch them play today. “It was a very special occasion for us, watching our son make his World Cup debut against the Indian team in India,” said Sukhwinder, father of Rajan Kahlon, who played hockey at PAU Ludhiana.

Accompanying Sukhwinder were Rajan’s mother, Bimal, and younger sister, Armaan. “It was a difficult moment as we were torn about whether to root for India or Canada,” said Bimal.

Parmeet Gill’s father, Shamsher, and maternal grandfather, Gurnam Singh Dhaliwal, were also hockey players and they couldn’t have been more proud of Parmeet.

Belief

It couldn’t just be the love of the game that motivated the boys to spend so much money. “The experience we had today is a motivation,” said Canada captain Brandon Pereira. “To play in front of such a huge crowd was a new and thrilling experience.”

Sehmbi added that the World Cup was the biggest stage these boys had been on. “Their last international match was in May,” he said.

You need to believe in yourself to be willing to back yourself and spend that much money? “Yes, and that is the strength of this team. To even get here is a big accomplishment for them. That is why they will play without fear,” he added.