Junior World Cup Hockey: Dilraj Singh’s journey from goalkeeper to goalscorer, through financial strife and mother’s sacrifices

Ask him if head coach PR Sreejesh, one of the best custodians in the world in his heyday, knows of his time as a goalkeeper, and Dilraj laughs it off. He has no intention of revealing the secret to him.

Not far from his village in Gurdaspur, Dilraj started working with coach Kulwinder Singh at Ghuman Kalan hockey ground. He says the biggest challenge he has faced in his career remains that starting point; when he picked up a stick, he had little knowledge of how to progress from there. And then, he found an ally in Kulwinder, who says he has been collecting footage of Dilraj’s goals at the ongoing World Cup.

“He came to me as a kid with a drive to play in midfield or as a forward. His biggest strength was his willingness to work hard, his stick skills were sensational, and his quickness is loved by all coaches who work with him. I got to work with him for a year and a half, got him ready on the small grass field we had at Ghuman Kalan, and then got him a trial at Jalandhar. It is so rare for a kid who has played on grass to get selected at the Surjit Academy on the first attempt; but the coaches really wanted him there. From there, he kept growing.”

Ghuman Kalan still doesn’t have a proper astro turf, and Kulwinder, who has been writing to officials asking for better facilities, hopes Dilraj’s success could spur people into action, for the benefit of the 60 kids who train there.

At the start of Dilraj’s journey, the support from his home wasn’t that great. While his father, a farmer, was indifferent to his sporting ambitions, it was his mother Rupinder Kaur who backed him totally.

Dilraj doesn’t have an idol, even after having turned into a forward and aspiring to top the scoring charts at the ongoing World Cup. (PHOTO: Dilraj Singh/Instagram)

“Whatever I am today, it’s because of my mother. Some close friends and my uncle helped me out as well. But I have seen times when we didn’t have any money in our house. I have missed tournaments because of that. When I was a goalkeeper and needed to buy a full kit, she sold her gold earrings. Only my mother and I know about this,” the youngster shares.

“She used to tell me, ‘Raja – that’s my nickname given by her – one day your time will come, you just keep playing. Whatever hardships you are facing now, you’ll overcome them.’ It’s because of her that I’ve reached this far.”

For Dilraj, his mother is also a friend with whom he can share anything. The first call he made after putting on the Indian jersey for the first time at the 2024 Sultan of Johor Cup was to his mother.

“It was a dream come true. I share everything with my mother and close friends. They have been with me in my difficult times. There have been struggles but there has always been a determination to achieve something. You have to keep going.” One of those close friends remembers a time when Dilraj didn’t have even 20 rupees for his daily expenses. But even during that phase, he would be training till as late as 9.30 pm all alone because of a single-minded drive to make hockey work for him as a career.

Dilraj doesn’t have an idol, even after having turned into a forward and aspiring to top the scoring charts at the ongoing World Cup.

“When I started playing as a forward, I didn’t want to be like anyone. I just thought that I am my own person who will set an example so that someone could become like me,” he states.