Missing Commonwealth Games was a big jolt, says Surender Kumar

Surender Kumar’s father knew how difficult it would be for the next generation to eke out a living from a small piece of ancestral agricultural land. So, his priority was to get both his sons educated, and help them land a government job.

Despite his family pushing him to study, Surender realised books were not his cup of tea. His school teachers agreed, advising that he should perhaps take up sports. Surender knew he would do well in any field that required endurance. But his family vehemently opposed that, even refusing to purchase a hockey stick for R450 in 2006. But that didn’t deter the defender, who has become a pillar of the India hockey squad.

At the Bhubaneswar World Cup, Surender was a silver lining in India’s campaign, which ended with a 1-2 defeat against Netherlands in the quarter-finals. In the big game, Surender showed maturity and nerves of steel to keep the Dutch at bay. Though it didn’t prevent a defeat, he was adjudged the ‘Player of the Match’.

“When I heard my name for Man of the Match, I didn’t feel any emotion. I was blank. My team was out of the tournament, so it meant nothing. Hockey is a team game and when it comes to team performance, individual honour has no standing,” says Surender, 24, with 107 India caps. “Once we were out, I didn’t want to return to the stadium to watch any other match. It was all over for me.”

Surender, who played in the 2013 Junior World Cup, is an India regular over the last two years. Except the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April, he has played in all other major events.

“Missing the CWG was a big jolt for me. Be it the junior or senior teams, I was never dropped since my international debut. But my family (humble background) has made me mentally strong. So, I took it as a challenge and worked hard on weak areas. After that, I was again in the squad,” he said.

He took up hockey by accident. “I used to play cricket with my friends and they joined hockey at the Kurukshetra stadium. When they told me it’s an interesting game, I also started going with them to the hockey field. My main concern was getting my own hockey stick because whenever a senior took a break, I used to play with his stick. But my parents were not willing to buy me even a basic stick thinking it was waste of money and a distraction from studies. Eventually, after I revolted, my uncle got me my first stick for R450. Unfortunately, it broke in three-four days and it was back to square one. Thankfully, my seniors supported me.”

He also discovered he was colour blind during medical for a job in ONGC. “I was worried. I consulted a doctor friend in Delhi, who assured me it won’t affect my game.”