|
Shahabad’s Sikh girl leads
Indian sticks to glory
WSN Network
SHAHBAD: The
Sikh captain of the Indian Hockey team, ace striker Surinder Kaur,
is blazing a path of glory. After the dismal performance of the
Indian men’s hockey team in the Asia Cup, followed by the juniors
coming in ninth in the recent World Cup, Surinder kaur’s leadership
brought cheer back to the Indian hockey fraternity last Saturday
when the girls won the Champions Challenge II tournament in Kazan,
Russia.
The team got the better of Belgium 6-3 in the final. Hailing
from Shahbad Markanda, a small town on the Chandigarh-Delhi highway,
Surinder is in great company of four other girls from the same town.
Surinder, 27, not only scripted the victory for
India,
but was also adjudged Player of the Tournament. She had taken charge
of the national team last year. Surinder Kaur’s story is a story of
struggle, grit and hardwork. Becoming stars of the Kazan victory was
certainly not a smooth ride.
Surinder’s father once worked as a
daily-wager on others’ farms and even buying a quality hockey stick
was a challenge. Her success in the game has, however, changed the
fortunes of the family. Today, her father farms his own land.
There’s a new house too, besides a tidy sum in the bank. The Sikh
community hails the spirit of the talented girl.
1
July 2009
|