Best Of Sadda Punjab
In a village near Jandiala Guru in Amritsar district, a small hockey ground is carrying a big dream. On nearly one and a half killa of family land, Pradeep Singh has created a place where local children can train in hockey without paying any fee. His goal reaches beyond the village. He wants one or two of these young players to represent India at the 2036 Olympics eventually.
The initiative comes at a time when Punjab continues to contribute strongly to Indian hockey. At the 2026 Hockey World Cup, nine players from Punjab represented India. Behind such players, however, are often small grounds, local coaches, and families that give children their first chance to learn the sport.
For Pradeep Singh, that opportunity was missing during his own childhood.
Turning Family Land Into a Hockey Ground
For a farming family, land is an important source of income. Pradeep Singh chose to use around one and a half killa of his family’s land for a different purpose. Instead of leasing it out, he turned it into a hockey ground where children from the surrounding area can train without paying fees.
The academy does not operate as a commercial venture. Pradeep Singh covers the costs of maintaining the ground and paying the coaches who train the children.
His effort is based on a simple idea. Children in the village should have an opportunity to learn hockey properly, regardless of whether their families can afford private coaching. The academy has therefore become a space where young players can train regularly and develop their skills under guidance.
A Childhood Opportunity He Never Had
Pradeep Singh’s decision is closely tied to his experience growing up in the area. During school, he wanted to play hockey. While teams for other sports were forming, he didn’t have a proper hockey team or a suitable opportunity to play in his locality.
He bought a hockey stick and ball, but there were not enough players around him to form a team. That childhood experience remained with him.
As he grew older, Pradeep Singh decided that children from the next generation should not face the same situation. The opportunity he couldn’t find for himself became the reason he started Kids Play Hockey Academy.
He aimed to provide village children with access to training and a sporting environment where they could pursue hockey seriously.
A Longstanding Interest in Community Service
According to his father, Pradeep Singh has been involved in activities for the village’s benefit since he was young. He has participated in cleaning streets and drains, helped with religious programmes and visited people’s homes to perform religious services without seeking payment.
His family says that he has consistently wanted to keep children away from harmful company and encourage them towards sports and constructive activities.
The hockey academy has become another part of that effort. For Pradeep, sport is not only about competition. It is also a way to give children a disciplined activity and create a positive environment where they can spend their time.
Fitness Is Part of the Training
The academy also emphasises physical fitness. Its fitness coach works with the children during morning and evening sessions. The focus is not limited to hockey alone. The coach believes that physical fitness is essential for children involved in hockey, football, volleyball or any other sport.
The academy is therefore trying to develop fitness habits alongside sporting skills. For the children, regular training offers a chance to become more active and disciplined. The effort is also intended to encourage a stronger interest in fitness among young people in the surrounding area.
Young Players With Bigger Dreams
The children training at the ground have ambitions that extend far beyond their village. One of them, Shubhdeep Singh, says he has developed a strong attachment to hockey. He considers Pradeep Singh and the people at the academy his mentors and credits them with supporting his sporting journey.
Shubhdeep hopes to become a player like Harmanpreet Singh, represent India at the international level and bring recognition to his village and academy.
Another young player, Armaan Singh, says that Pradeep Singh’s initiative allowed him to play hockey. He aims to reach the Olympics in the coming years and win a gold medal for India.
For these children, the ground is therefore more than a place to practise. It is where they have begun to connect their local sporting experience with ambitions at the national and international level.
Support From Hockey Players
The initiative has also received encouragement from players associated with Indian hockey. Pradeep Singh says that Gurjant Singh, a member of the Indian hockey team, initially distributed hockey sticks among the children.
The children also received kits and goalkeeper equipment with support from the Indian team captain.
International hockey player Germanpreet Singh has also supported the initiative. At the academy’s launch, Germanpreet Singh, along with WWE wrestler Satnam Singh, visited the ground and encouraged the young players. Such support has given the children access to equipment and also allowed them to meet established sporting personalities.
Funding the Dream Himself
Pradeep Singh continues to contribute personally towards the academy.
Along with his service with the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, he also works as a taxi driver. He uses a portion of his taxi earnings for the hockey ground and the children’s needs.
The money goes towards maintaining the facility and supporting the training environment. His approach reflects the project’s personal nature. The academy began with his own land and childhood experience, and he continues to contribute his earnings towards keeping the facility available to local children.
Looking Towards 2036
Pradeep Singh’s biggest target is the 2036 Olympics. He hopes that at least one or two children who train on this village ground will eventually become part of the Indian hockey team.
That goal is still years away, and no one can guarantee that any particular player will reach the international level. For now, the academy focuses on giving children the opportunity to train, stay physically active, and develop their hockey skills.
Yet that ambition gives the project direction. A piece of family farmland has become a hockey ground. A childhood disappointment has become an opportunity for another generation. And children who once had limited access to organised hockey now have a place where they can train regularly and pursue their ambitions.
In this small corner of Amritsar, Pradeep Singh is using what he has to create the opportunity he once needed himself. His 2036 Olympic dream begins with the children stepping onto the field today.
Story: Manmeet Kaur
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