Interview: Focusing on Junior World Cup, says talented hockey forward Ramandeep Singh

Credit: Official Sultan of Johor website

Ramandeep Singh was very much an unknown commodity going into the 9th Asia Cup men’s hockey tournament in Ipoh. But he did more than enough with his hockey stick at the continental event that saw India finish runners-up after losing narrowly to Korea. The exploits of the fleet-footed Indian striker has ensured that his name is on most hockey fans’ lips – in hockey circles he is being seen as the best answer to Indian forwardline’s concerns.

The 20-year-old who hails from Meeka village, about 30 kms from Amritsar, is bubbling with excitement over his performance in Ipoh.

“I was really happy to be picked in the side and was keen to make my opportunities count. Nothing gives me more joy than contribute to a team’s win and I’m chuffed to help my side fare well in the Asia Cup. It’s unfortunate that we had to lose the final to Korea. Umpiring in the final left a lot to be desired, or else we would have won the Asia Cup,” he says in an exclusive interview.

A student of Spring Dale School, Ramandeep honed his hockey skills at the Amritsar-based Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy when he was in sixth standard in 2004. He learnt the nuances of the game under the tutelage of Olympian Balwinder Singh Shammi.

The razor-sharp forward was part of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy till in 2010.

“I learnt a lot at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy under Olympian Balwinder Singh Shammi – another coach by the same name Balwinder Singh also taught me the rudiments of the game. I trained at the academy till the time I passed out of 10+2,” he recalls.

Son of a farmer, Ramandeep did not really need to inject passion for hockey in him as it ran in his family. His elder brother Harmandeep Singh is also a hockey player and is employed with the Indian Overseas Bank, Madras.

“It helps when you have others in the family play the sport. Seven of my cousins from my village are training at the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Academy,” he says.

Ramandeep, who turned out for Japyee Punjab Warriors in the inaugural Hero Hockey India League, is now focusing on the national camp in preparation for the 2014 Junior World Cup to be held in New Delhi this December.

“We are going to train hard at the camp and fine-tune our preparations for the 2014 Junior World Cup. Winning the 3rd Sultan of Johor Cup has given us a lot of confidence. Doing well in a marquee event in our backyard is really important and we will do whatever we can to corner glory,” he exudes hope.

The talented hitman, who is employed with Punjab and Sind Bank, has fond memories of his senior international debut in the 9th Asia Cup.

“Well, a debut game is special for any player and I’m no exception. The fact that I scored on my debut against Oman in the 17th minute of play was an icing on the cake for me. Hockey India also gave me a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for scoring on my senior international debut,” he gushes.

Ramanadeep believes India stands a bright chance of winning the 2014 Junior World Cup.

“Our team led by Manpreet Singh is very talented – Manpreet is a great team player and takes everyone into confidence – more importantly he leads from the front. Our defence is really strong – the good thing is that not just our fullbacks, our forwards and midfielders help out our defence, which is a big plus for us,” he says.

The striker, who wears a mild stubble, however, admits the road to title glory won’t be a smooth one.

“We have a strong team, but it will count for nothing if we can’t deliver on any given day. Australia, Germany and the Netherlands are formidable sides and we need to do our homework if we are to counter them in the the 2014 Junior World Cup. Our performance in the 3rd Sultan of Johor Cup augurs well for us,” the demure youngster fires a parting shot.