I first had the chance to fulfill Gurcharan Singh, Gucci Paji as his followers fondly name him, in 1978-79 on the National Stadium within the capital, the place he was working the nets and coaching round 50 boys.
He instantly impressed me, not solely as somebody famend for recognizing younger expertise, but additionally for his self-discipline and exhausting work. Even after these 40-45 years, he has not modified in any respect. He nonetheless appears to be like match and works exhausting together with his trainees. I can nonetheless see the eagerness for the sport in his eyes.
Gurcharan Singh is a person of few phrases. He could also be 87 now. But he’s as match, if not match, than his 100-odd trainees on the Dronacharya Cricket Academy on the Arvachine Bharti School in Vivek Vihar (East Delhi). Gurcharan Singh is as wholesome and enthusiastic as any of his younger trainees.
A Dronacharya awardee, he’s richly deserving of the Padma Shri awarded to him by the Government of India for his selfless service to sports activities. He has spent his complete life sincerely within the service of cricket.
Excited to see the Padma Shri introduced for Dronacharya S Gurcharan Singh ji. His work is an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations sir #People’s Padma pic.twitter.com/tgjFyxdNZi
— Rohan Jaitley (@rohanjaitley) January 26, 2023
During my 40-year affiliation with Gucci Sir, as I nonetheless fondly name him, I’ve at all times discovered his enthusiasm unmatched. Being a resident of the identical locality, I’ve usually seen him leaving his Ramakrishna residence in IP Extension each morning round 8 am on his bike to his academy. Be it the scorching warmth of summer time or the bitter chilly of December, he by no means missed his routine.
I’ve been witness to many such situations the place he has gone out of his option to promote a gifted younger participant. He has additionally persuaded some mother and father to vary faculties for boys in order that the gamers can notice their full potential in a cricket-friendly atmosphere.
Once once I requested him why he would not take a break from working so exhausting at his age, he replied, ‘I’m no matter I’m due to cricket. It has given me area, launched me to some superb individuals in life, and taught me to be humble. I want to proceed my mission so long as my physique permits.
He mentioned: “Hard work has always been my motto. When you are on the field, you never feel that you have crossed your age. I move forward with the youth and that motivates me.”
I personally know of many situations the place Gucci paji has gone out of his option to get gifted cricketers jobs in numerous PSUs. “They can not survive on cricket. He wants an excellent job for his future,” he usually mentioned.
He has gone via many ups and downs in his life. From a younger boy who rose from the ashes of the 1947 Partition, Gurcharan Singh, via sheer exhausting work, has earned a spot as India’s most revered mentor amongst younger cricketers. Almost three a long time after his retirement from the Sports Authority of India because the chief cricket coach, Gurcharan Singh is as lively as ever.
Not solely did he survive the times of Partition in 1947, however the 1984 Delhi riots virtually turned again the clock for him. Thanks to the well timed assist of his apprentices, Gurcharan Singh survived because of a few of his apprentices, who protected him from the rampaging mob.
Gucci Paji was virtually broke when his younger son had a severe accident a number of years in the past. The father spent a number of months in fear because the son slowly recovered. It takes braveness to return out of those private disasters. Gucci Paji had plenty of braveness and can energy.
Over the years, he has educated generations of cricketers, together with a dozen who went on to characterize the nation on the highest degree: Surendra Khanna, Kirti Azad, Maninder Singh, Sunil Valson, Vivek Razdan, Nikhil Chopra, Ajay Jadeja, Gursharan Singh, Murali Karthik, Gagan Khoda, Rahul Shanghvi and Vijay Mehra (who performed for the UAE nationwide workforce). and a whole lot of others who represented numerous states within the Ranji Trophy.
“My job was to guide him. He worked hard to earn the national colour,” was his well mannered response.
Some distinguished Union ministers through the Eighties–90s, together with Bhagwat Jha Azad and Madhav Rao Scindia, Surendra Singh (MP), have been commonly within the National Stadium nets. He had nice regard and respect for his honesty and dedication.
At that point there was a buzz in some circles that Gurcharan Singh most well-liked sons of VIPs in his coaching centre. However, he denied the allegation, “If they are talented and willing to work hard, I train them, no matter where they come from. In fact, I have rejected some boys from so-called influential families.” Because I discovered that they don’t seem to be keen to work exhausting sufficient.They ought to have the starvation for the sport.
Gucci Mane has at all times been a disciplinarian. He by no means tolerated any nonsense or indiscipline on the sphere.
Bishan Singh Bedi, a troublesome taskmaster himself, has immense respect for Gucci Paji. “His only passion and dedication in life has been cricket. Gucci Paji has been an epitome of humility and good old human values. He has been a selfless servant of cricket,” is how the legendary cricketer described the famend coach.
I’ve mentioned his ardour with him many occasions and he used to speak about his early profession within the sport. Cricket opened new alternatives for him.
A right-handed batsman and right-arm off break bowler, he beforehand performed for Southern Punjab and a century in opposition to Railways within the Ranji Trophy modified his life endlessly. He joined the Railways workforce, which had half a dozen gamers representing India, together with Lala Amarnath, Dattu Phadkar, Bibi Nimbalkar, Nari Contractor, Budhi Kunderan and Vasant Ranjan.
Besides head coach of the National Stadium, he wears many hats. He was additionally the director and head of the quick bowling academy of Gwalior. He had a 2-year stint with the Indian workforce when Kapil Dev was the captain. He was additionally the pinnacle coach of Maldives in 1985.
During his stint with the National Stadium Cricket Center (NSCC), he used to take some younger boys and a few senior trainees on cricket excursions of England each two years to offer the gamers with the form of abroad expertise they in any other case wouldn’t have gotten .
Gurcharan Singh has performed no minor function within the unfold of the sport in Delhi and has contributed immensely in enriching the expertise pool of cricket in North India.
Despite being within the limelight for thus lengthy, Gucci Mane stays calm. “There is so much to learn from this game. One life is not enough,” Guchi sir used to comment usually. Such ardour and dedication. Salute to the Dronacharya of cricket.
S Santhanam, veteran sports activities journalist who has adopted the Delhi cricket scene for over 40 years, writes about Gurcharan Singh, an establishment in cricket teaching, who has been honored with the Republic Day National Honor
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
