New Delhi, March 31: Indian hockey player Gurjant Singh has announced his retirement from international hockey. The announcement was made during the Hockey India Annual Award Ceremony held on March 27 at the Le Meridien in Delhi, sparking discussions across the sports community.
Gurjant, a forward player for the national hockey team, has had a remarkable spanning nearly a decade, during which he won two gold medals at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow. He was also part of the bronze medal-winning teams at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
Joining the Chandigarh Hockey Academy in 2005, Gurjant was inspired to play hockey after watching his brothers. He trained at the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar until 2011, gaining recognition in the domestic circuit and winning several tournaments for Punjab and Haryana. His last international match was played in Bhubaneswar during the FIH Pro League.
In 2016, Gurjant was part of the Indian team that won gold at the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup, a moment he cherishes as a highlight. He earned the nickname “Mr. Backhand” from German player Florian Fuchs for his exceptional skills displayed during the tournament.
Gurjant made his senior team debut in 2017 against Belgium and contributed to India’s victory at the Hero Asia Cup that same year. Despite facing challenges in maintaining form, he made a significant comeback by scoring the fastest goal in FIH Pro League history against the Netherlands in January 2020.
He was also a key member of the historic team that won an Olympic medal after 41 years at the Tokyo 2020 Games and contributed to back-to-back bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. In recognition of his contributions to sports, the Government of India awarded him the Arjuna Award in 2021.
In a gesture of honor, the Punjab government named a primary school after him, the “Olympian Gurjant Singh Government Primary School,” in 2021. Additionally, he was appointed as a PCS officer in 2024 for his contributions to Indian hockey.