For a group of young hockey players, the lately wrapped up Asian Champions Trophy in Jalandhar provided a great opportunity to watch global hockey. Wearing T-shirts with ‘Ball Patrol’ printed on the back, these young boys got a chance to be right on the pitch, up close with some of the finest hockey players in the world.
Their task was to retrieve the balls whenever they went out of play, but for the youngsters, it was also an opportunity to observe the game from close quarters and watch global stars in action.
12-year-old Harsh, a trainee at Surjit Hockey Academy, has been learning the sport for the past one year. Originally from Amritsar, he was on duty during the China- Bangladesh match. With his eyes fixed on the action, Harsh carefully tracked the movement of the ball, staying alert and ready to pick the ball up whenever needed.
Other ball boys, Sukhchain and Harmarit, were equally attentive and knew exactly when and where to step in. For them, being present on the pitch was an exciting experience and a rare opportunity to watch top-level players from such close quarters.
The experience also carried a deeper significance for these budding hockey athletes. They believe that being part of an international tournament, observing the players and witnessing the intensity of the game from the field could bring them one step closer to their own dreams of becoming successful hockey athletes.
There is, after all, inspiration in being close to the action. Indian hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh is a reminder of how such small opportunities can leave a lasting impression. Hardik was also a 14-year-old ball boy during the 2011 Hockey India League matches at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. Fifteen years later, he has returned to the same venue, not as a ball boy, but as India’s vice-captain at the Asian Champions Trophy.
“I was just 14 when I was a ball boy in HIL. I would watch the players play in awe. Back then, I thought I might reach the state-level. Becoming India’s vice-captain was something I had never imagined,” he had earlier told The Tribune. For Harsh, Sukhchain, Harmarit and the other young members of the Ball Patrol, Hardik’s journey offers a glimpse of what the future could hold.