As the 8th annual Hockey India Awards were in full swing on Friday, March 27, the Indian men’s and women’s teams made an appearance in special jerseys off the field. It was quite easy to spot Gurjant Singh in the midst of that crowd.
He seemed to stand out from the crowd in a simple Nehru jacket and his sharp gaze. Many wondered why he looked different from his teammates, and the answer soon came. There was a brief pause in the proceedings as Gurjant was called to the dias and an announcement soon followed. The two-time Olympic medalist and one of the best strikers of recent times has decided to retire from international hockey.
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A sudden hush fell over the proceedings before Gurjant lifted the mood with laughter alongside his now former teammates before saying he was happy with his career.
With just 130 appearances and 48 goals under his belt, Gurjant felt the time was right to call time on his career.
REASON
It is no secret that over the last year or so, Gurjant has struggled to maintain his place in the party. Most of it was due to injuries, his back took a toll after years of hockey. With the arrival of Abhishek and Sukhjeet Singh, the 31-year-old’s place was gone and he felt he had put his health ahead of the game.
“Actually, I think last year when I was playing in the Pro League I had a back injury. Even before that, about a month before in the gym, I had a back injury. Then I tried to restart a little fast and then I injured myself twice back to back.”
“So the injury was such that it took me at least 7 to 8 months to recover. It was a long time. And in a team game when you get injured and then you come back and you have to perform at the same time when the World Cup and the matches are only a few months away, I think there was a bit of confusion.
“It was a serious injury and after that I didn’t want to risk it again. Since the national team’s schedule is very busy, the training atmosphere is very high. Since it took so long to recover, I felt that maybe I should quit international hockey now,” Gurjant said.
He vowed to continue playing on the domestic circuit and in the Hockey India League, but mostly he felt the time was right and the stage was right.
“WHY NOT LEAVE UP”
It seemed like yesterday when Gurjant arrived as a young forward from the Jr. team. and was an instant success. His game was symbolized by his quick goals and it looked like the artist was working as he passed through the middle.
But Gurjant believes that no matter how great a player you are, retirement is inevitable.
“In a player’s life, that time comes for everyone. No matter how well you play, one day you will have to face retirement,” Gurjant said.
But his thinking was something that felt just right to him. Leave the game on top and with a smile on your face.
“My view was why not leave when you are playing well, performing well, with medals instead of leaving with a big injury or performance issues where you leave with disappointment. I think it is better to leave happy,” Gurjant said.
HEART WILL BE IN HOCKEY
Although he will now focus on domestic and his government job in Punjab, coaching is not something he would jump into at this point. But his heart will never leave the Indian hockey teams. Now a fan of the team, Gurjant is hoping for World Cup and Asian Games glory.
“A player’s mind and heart always remain with the team. Whether you are retired or not, your mind always says that the team should win, Indian hockey should win.”
“So of course my mindset will be the same off the field. I will support the team. There are two big tournaments coming up so we hope the team will perform well and bring medals,” said Gurjant.
– The end
Published on:
28 March 2026 02:00 IST
