“Physical Strength Plays Key Role For Strikers In Modern Hockey,” says Gursahibjit Singh
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Indian men’s hockey team forward, Gursahibjit Singh feels that in modern hockey, physical strength plays a key role for strikers. The 21-year-old already has 20 international caps to his name. The young forward will definitely be a player to watch out for in the future.
He made his debut for the senior team at the 28th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Singh has since scored a total of six goals. He has also been a part of some memorable wins. The most notable of them would be the Olympic Test Event in Tokyo in 2019. The young striker scored three goals there, including one against New Zealand in the Final.
“When I was playing back home in Gurdaspur, Punjab, at a young age, I didn’t think I would one day be a part of the national team. I started playing because I used to like the sport, but playing it professionally? I wasn’t really sure. However, as fate would have it, I happened to play well and slowly understood a lot of technical things about our sport that led me to winning some excellent accolades in my formative years,” he said in a Hockey India release.
He was also the nominee for the Hockey India Jugraj Singh Upcoming Player of the Year 2019 Award at the Hockey India 3rd Annual Awards which took place earlier this year.
He further explained about his plans of becoming “one of the best strikers in the world,“.
“Since then I have come a long way, and now I would say I’m definitely planning to become one of the best strikers in the world. I have some amazing people here in the team who have certainly helped me grow – my coaches and teammates have always understood how I like to play my hockey, but I think there’s still so much for me to learn and then put into execution to be able to achieve my huge ambitions with the country,” he added.
“I believe hockey has changed a lot over the years,” says Gursahibjit Singh
Having had time to address a variety of key areas, Singh further explained that in modern hockey, physical strength plays an important role for an international striker.
“In the past, we used to have silky players who would make their way between defenders and showcase their skill to score the goals, but I believe hockey has changed a lot over the years. In modern hockey, you have to be strong if you are a striker or an attacking player. You have very tight and limited spaces on the pitch, and once you have the ball, or even if you’re making some runs, you have to have a physical presence which troubles the opposition, and having that strength and muscle is something I’ve been trying to work on these past few months,” he said.
Singh called the current period as a golden opportunity for him. He believes that having the time to improve in multiple facets of the game will help him find a regular spot in the Indian team.
“I have always been a quick learner, and I want to make sure I am learning something or the other every single day. We have a lot of things to look forward to, including the biggest tournament – the Olympic Games. So I am giving my 100 per cent in each session, whether it is on the hockey pitch or in the gym, I am eager to keep improving in all areas. I know there is no substitute for hard work and I will be making sure I am taking all the opportunities I get,” he signed off.
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