Jalandhar preserves legacy of hockey legend Surjit Singh Randhawa
The World Cup winner and Olympian's influence continues through an academy and a stadium hosting the Asian Champions Trophy.
The sporting community in Jalandhar continues to honour the memory of hockey legend Surjit Singh Randhawa more than four decades after his death in a 1984 road accident, according to the Times of India.
Randhawa, an Arjuna Award recipient and World Cup winner, is remembered as a premier full-back and penalty-corner specialist. His equaliser against Pakistan in the 1975 World Cup final helped pave the way for a title-winning goal.
The legacy of the player is maintained through the Surjit Hockey Academy and the Surjit Memorial Hockey Tournament. The academy currently houses approximately 100 trainees and has produced six players currently in the Indian team, including captain Harmanpreet Singh.
Former India captain Ajit Pal Singh described Randhawa as a dependable defender and a fighter. Brigadier Harcharan Singh, an Olympian, noted that Randhawa maintained a disciplined routine, often performing four to five hours of individual practice after team training.
Former India goalkeeper Alloysius Edwards said he heard stories of Randhawa's hitting power, noting a goalkeeper once fractured a finger attempting to stop his penalty-corner strikes. Pargat Singh, a former Director of Sports for Punjab, stated that preserving these memories can inspire and motivate young players.
Randhawa's wife, Chanchal Surjit Singh, a former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team, said it is special to see an international tournament held in a stadium named after him.