Gurjot Singh eyes permanent senior spot after Junior World Cup glory

Gurjot Singh was going through his usual regimen at the junior training camp at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru when he was caught by surprise. At this time, he was in the reckoning for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, which was still more than 12 months away, and had played for India at the Hockey 5s World Cup. But the then 20-year-old had no inkling of the curveball heading his way.

“We were all in the gym. Suddenly, the coach called us for a meeting. Everything happened so quickly. And I was selected to play for the senior team at the Asian Champions Trophy. I was in shock at first. All the senior players were there. But it was very good, special. And it was a very proud moment for me and my family,” Gurjot says.

Coming from Hussainabad, a small village near Jalandhar, hockey would have been lost on Gurjot had he not enrolled himself at the government school in the neighbouring village, Sarinh, and stumbled upon kids playing a sport with sticks. 

Like most villages in Punjab, Hussainabad is a settlement in the middle of nothing but farmland for acres. A sports ground here would have been a novelty, let alone a hockey field. Gurjot also had to coax his parents for permission after a bicycle accident left him with a serious head injury and grounded from all activities except academics.

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“I went to the school with my friends, who used to play hockey. When I went there for the first time, I saw that the ground was good. I saw that hockey was also good and grew a liking towards it. I was in the 6th grade.

“It was tough to leave the village and grow as a player. First of all, there is grass. So, moving to a turf was very difficult. We kept playing [with no other option]. After 12th grade, I came to Khalsa college. That was the first time I played on a turf. Grass fields are slightly bumpy, turf is much faster. It was good.

“There was a tournament at that time where I was scouted by Roundglass Academy. Then I tried for their side and eventually ended up playing the Nationals for them,” Gurjot says.

The Nationals paved his way into the junior camp at SAI and then he was asked to make a giant leap with the senior team call-up. But captain Harmanpreet Singh extending an arm around his shoulder and faith from coach Craig Fulton helped ease the nerves and made scaling the steep curve slightly easier.

“The level of skill in senior hockey is much greater, but our seniors are so good. Harman  paaji, I played with him for the first time, asked me to not take pressure. He was telling me to play according to how I feel comfortable. He asked me to express myself. Craig Fulton is a great coach. He has a system where he gives chances to the junior players as well. And he sees who is doing what. So, I personally like him a lot,” Gurjot says.

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Gurjot made seven appearances and started in two of those games. He’s not had a look in post the Asian Champions Trophy in China, but that was also partly due to the assignments with the junior group in Sultan of Johor Cup and the World Cup.

The three-week sojourn was a quick glimpse into what lay on the other side of the junior set up. He is one of the few players in the bronze-medal winning side that already has a taste of playing with the big boys. It was to come to his aid in the upcoming months.

The World Cup was a challenge in itself as India tried to end its heartbreaking run of stumbling at the final hurdle and falling just short of medals. India had lost the semifinals and bronze-medal games at the 2021 and 2023 editions.

“It was happening in India. There was pressure as well. But it was an advantage because of the crowd. And here in Chennai, everyone supports hockey a lot. So, we tried to cover our shortcomings.

“Sreejesh sir is aggressive on the field. He motivated us aggressively too. He has played in so many big games and told us what the pressure would be like. Then, we figured out how to handle it. So, as a coach, that was the best thing for us. Because we already knew what was going to happen,” Gurjot says.

PR Sreejesh’s advice went a long way in getting India a shootout win against Belgium in the quarterfinal and then a turnaround from 0-2 down in the bronze-medal match against Argentina. Gurjot stepped up to take India’s first shot in the shootout, where he won a penalty stroke for Sharda Nand Tiwari to convert.

Following the World Cup medal, Gurjot is now with the HIL Governing Council side as he tries to make a case for inclusion in the senior camp. With a busy year ahead which includes the World Cup and the Asian Games, a strong showing in the Hockey India League might catapult him to another senior call-up.

Once again, Gurjot has been asked to accommodate quickly. A forward until now, his transition to midfield has demanded toil. But even here, he’s relished the support from Hardik Singh.

“Playing midfielder is tougher. You don’t get to score goals and then you’ve to run more as well. You have to play defensively without the ball too. It was difficult for me in the first match. Hardik  bhai is our senior. So, I keep asking him about the structure,” Gurjot says.

“Right now, I just want to perform well here. Hopefully, I will get a chance to play in the senior team. I can only hope that I get the chance to come to the camp as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if I don’t get the chance, I will keep practicing. Before or after the Asian Games, a senior team call-up will be just as good,” Gurjot says.

Published on Jan 08, 2026