Late NST sports writer's son hopes to be success story

New Straits Times

4 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The father held the pen with panache; now the son wields the hockey stick with finesse.
Jugjet Singh, the New Straits Times sports writer who died of cancer last year at the age of 55, would be proud of his son, Baljit Singh Randhawa.
The influence of his sports writer father is writ large on Baljit, who aspires to be a national player.
Jugjet, who covered the national hockey team, including their World Cup and Olympic campaigns, had dreams of his son wearing the Malaysia jersey one day.
So, the hand that wrote, also became the hand that shaped Baljit's sport path.
Jugjet would tell colleagues that he was sending his son for hockey training before covering national league matches.
Baljit, who will turn 17 tomorrow (July 28), is the fourth and youngest son of Jugjet. "I took up hockey because of my father. He loved the sport so much and he wrote almost everyday about hockey.
"My father was my inspiration. He always motivated me in studies and in hockey,
"I want to fulfill my father's dream to represent Malaysia in the 2027 Junior World Cup. To achieve this, I have to train really hard and I am willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill my father's dreams."
When Baljit was 10, Jugjet arranged for him to join the Happy Hockey programme at Aman Club under coach Gurmit Singh Cheema.
"I got hooked on hockey and I thanked coach Gurmit for guiding me in training and motivating me.
"Two years later, I trained under former Olympian Maninderjit Singh at the National Hockey Stadium. Maninderjit has given me a lot of encouragement on and off the field.
"I slowly started making progress and I must thank Madam Veena Kaur, the manager of KL Sikh Sports and Recreation Club (KLSSRC) for allowing me to train and play for the club in Division Two of the Under-19 Malaysian Junior Hockey League (MJHL) in 2023.
"It was my first break in hockey. I must also thank former national players Baljit Singh Charun and Kelvinder Singh for helping me in training and giving me a lot of great advice. They gave me tips to improve my game and mentality.
"As I was still young and lacked experience, I did not get many chances to play for KLSSRC in the MJHL. But this year, I will start in their first 11 and I want to score goals.
"I started as a midfielder, but coach Baljit switched my position as he believed I am better playing as a forward."
Last year, forward Baljit played for Gombak in the District Sports School and scored two goals. He also represented Kuala Lumpur in the Gurdwara Cup and they won the boys' Under-18 title.
"This year, I represented Selangor in the Gurdwara Cup and played in both the Under-18 and in the senior category.
"To become a better player, I need to work on my confidence and fitness. I also have to be able to control the ball better and be fast in decision making.
"After my SPM exam, my main goal is to win a place in the 2027 Junior World Cup. But I really need to train hard and improve on every aspect of the game," said Baljit.
Coach Baljit Charun said Baljit is a dedicated player and has shown a lot of improvement since playing for KLSSRC in the junior league in 2023.
"For this year's MJHL, he is a key player and we know he will give his best. He still has to work hard in training to be a consistent player. I know he will work hard to achieve his goals in hockey."
Off the field, the cerebral Baljit wants to score too — plenty of As in his SPM.
"I want to excel in studies and hockey," said Baljit, a Form Five student of SMK Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur.