After 49 years in the circuit, Inderjit Singh, the 77-year-old ace hockey coach who is an established hockey personality in Bengal today, fondly recollects that his ambition was to be a successful cricketer. Singh, one of the dedicated men in the state hockey fraternity today, also claims

that he started representing Ballygunge United as a cricketer in the early 60s.

“I was no mean cricketer. I used to bat well. But I also used to play hockey which was like a pastime during those days. Being one of the founder members of the club, I represented Khalsa Blues. More importantly, I used to keep myself fit by playing hockey before the local cricket season began in winter.”

In the 60s Singh played cricket and a little bit of hockey. He went to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Patiala in 1966 for a coaching degree in cricket and start a coaching career in the Maidan in future. But, as luck would have it, there was no other candidate in Patiala for admission test in cricket coaching.

Singh says, “Balkishen Singh, the former India international hockey player who was there at the SAI that time, advised me to appear for hockey coach’s admission test. And I didn’t waste time. I thought I went there spending money. So I would return to Kolkata with a degree in any discipline.”

Inderjit Singh obtained a second class degree with 75 per cent marks in the written test.

Legendary hockey player Dhyanchand was so impressed with Singh in the practical test that he urged Singh to stay in Patiala for posterity. Dhyanchand was the coach of the senior Indian squad that time as well as an examiner at SAI.

“Dhyanchand even promised to get me a steady job at Patiala SAI if I stayed back. But it was not possible for me to start a second establishment in Patiala. So I had to return.” Dhyanchand was very fond of Singh.

And 77-year-old Singh today expresses his gratitude. “Even the legend had tried for me in Kolkata. He came to Kolkata on another occasion and talked to West Bengal sports council officials requesting them to assign me in any of the sports council hockey coaching projects. But nothing happened.”

Amid the uncertainty, Singh found a coaching job at Jadavpur University for only three months in 1968. At long last Dhyanchand’s effort might have moved the sports council top brass and Singh was finally offered the coach’s job by the state sports council next year. By that time Singh had bagged the prize assignment of coaching the senior Bengal squad in the middle of 68, after his three-month stint with JU came to an end.

Since then there has been no looking back for Singh. He has devoted himself to coaching players for the state and country for the past 39 years. He trained Khalsa Blues which he calls his own club. And as a sports council coach, he had begun grooming and training boys in Baruipur at Bishalakshi Sporting Club with another dedicated sports council coach Jayanta Holm Chowdhury.

Singh concentrated more on Khalsa Blues. Today he has only one address — Khalsa Blues — where he has been providing intensive training for around 15 years.

Asked about the number of students he has churned out, Singh simply fails to remember.