CHENNAI: The Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium is turning out to be a happy hunting ground for drag-flicker Joginder Singh . The 26-year-old defender scored a brace for Haryana in their 12-1 victory over Himachal Pradesh in the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship Pool B encounter here on Wednesday.
Two months ago, Joginder was the top goal scorer (six goals) for champions Indian Railways in the all India MCC-Murugappa Hockey tournament in Chennai. Joginder was instrumental in Railways defending their title. On Wednesday, it took Joginder just five minutes to open his account and scored another in the 30th minute.
“This is a lucky ground for me. I was the best defender in the Murugappa tournament and to come back and play here again is very special. I hope to perform well in the nationals and make a mark in the national circuit,” Joginder told TOI.
Joginder’s performances in domestic tournaments did not go unnoticed as he was picked up by Delhi SG Pipers in the recent Hockey India League (HIL) auction. “This is a career-defining opportunity, and it is the right time to prove myself. The HIL is a very big platform and playing alongside international players will help me gain experience,” Joginder said.
Hailing from Hisar, Joginder received an opportunity to play for Melbourne Sikhs United club in the Men’s Vic League 1 competition in Victoria. Joginder trained under Olympian Waseem Ahmed, who has over 400 plus international appearances for Pakistan.
“I played in Melbourne from April to September last year. Waseem guided me on improving my defence and PCs, and taught me on how to handle situations on the field. The major learning from Australia is that I have understood to stay patient. At any moment in the match, I have to maintain calmness and play structural hockey. The players there (in Australia) always have the attacking intent and play till the final second; no matter what the result is.”
Results: Haryana 12 bt Himachal Pradesh 1. Odisha 11 bt Rajasthan 1. Puducherry 7 bt Arunachal Pradesh 0. Jharkhand 3 bt Goa 1. Maharashtra 30 bt Gujarat 0.
Two months ago, Joginder was the top goal scorer (six goals) for champions Indian Railways in the all India MCC-Murugappa Hockey tournament in Chennai. Joginder was instrumental in Railways defending their title. On Wednesday, it took Joginder just five minutes to open his account and scored another in the 30th minute.
“This is a lucky ground for me. I was the best defender in the Murugappa tournament and to come back and play here again is very special. I hope to perform well in the nationals and make a mark in the national circuit,” Joginder told TOI.
Joginder’s performances in domestic tournaments did not go unnoticed as he was picked up by Delhi SG Pipers in the recent Hockey India League (HIL) auction. “This is a career-defining opportunity, and it is the right time to prove myself. The HIL is a very big platform and playing alongside international players will help me gain experience,” Joginder said.
Hailing from Hisar, Joginder received an opportunity to play for Melbourne Sikhs United club in the Men’s Vic League 1 competition in Victoria. Joginder trained under Olympian Waseem Ahmed, who has over 400 plus international appearances for Pakistan.
“I played in Melbourne from April to September last year. Waseem guided me on improving my defence and PCs, and taught me on how to handle situations on the field. The major learning from Australia is that I have understood to stay patient. At any moment in the match, I have to maintain calmness and play structural hockey. The players there (in Australia) always have the attacking intent and play till the final second; no matter what the result is.”
Results: Haryana 12 bt Himachal Pradesh 1. Odisha 11 bt Rajasthan 1. Puducherry 7 bt Arunachal Pradesh 0. Jharkhand 3 bt Goa 1. Maharashtra 30 bt Gujarat 0.
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