RUPINDER THANKS BOLLYWOOD

All set for the Commonwealth Games, the hockey player says movies have drawn attention to sports

Indian hockey player Rupinder Pal Singh, who is gearing up for the team’s first match at the 2018 Commonwealth Games today, thinks that Bollywood has a lot to do with sports getting the “right kind” of attention now.

The 27-year-old feels that movies such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (the 2013 biopic on athlete Milkha Singh, starring Farhan Akhtar) and Soorma (film on hockey player Sandeep Singh, starring Diljit Dosanjh) help the masses realise that there are sports besides cricket. “Films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag not only tell the story about someone who goes on to play for India, they also motivate people to work hard, and make sacrifices to reach the top. Besides cricket, there are other sports that people play in India, and masses are getting to know about that. Film industry deserves credit for creating this awareness,” he says. This recalls a statement by sports officials who said that Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De! India (2007) has done a lot for hockey. Besides movies, Rupinder feels that the domestic hockey league has also contributed towards the betterment of Indian hockey. “Things have really improved when it comes to Indian hockey. There’s a lot more awareness about the sport, and there’s better support to even those who are playing at the junior level or are yet to be a part of the national team. The league has certainly changed a lot of things,” he says. Recalling “tough times” when he was yet to join the national team, he says,“When I was playing at the junior level, we had to go to Chandigarh by train. Sometimes, we couldn’t even book tickets because of money and time crunch. The trains used to be completely booked, and we had to travel without a ticket. So, it was really difficult and things were very pretty tough in those days,” he adds.

PHOTO: FACEBOOK/ RUPINDERPALSINGHOFFICIAL Rupinder Pal Singh was impressed by Bhaag Milkha Bhaag