Indian hockey defender Jugraj Singh’s journey to the top has been anything but conventional.
He finished as the top scorer in the 2024-25 Hero Hockey India League (HIL), leading Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers to the title in his debut season.
The 28-year-old from Attari, Punjab, netted 12 goals — including a hat-trick in the final against Hyderabad Toofans — and emerged as one of the league’s breakout stars.
Jugraj once sold Indian flags and water bottles at the Attari-Wagah border to support his family after his father, an Army porter, fell seriously ill.
“There were no options. Selling bottles and flags was survival,” he said. “I knew I had to work hard, no matter the form.”
Introduced to hockey by his older brother, Jugraj began playing at age seven. His brother gave up the sport to take over their father’s duties, but encouraged Jugraj to pursue the game with focus and discipline. “He’s the reason I stayed in the sport. He gave me a dream to chase.”
That dream peaked in the HIL, where Jugraj’s lethal drag flicks and cool-headed conversions at penalty corners became a key weapon in Rarh Bengal Tigers’ championship run. “Scoring a hat-trick in the final wasn’t planned — but once I got two, I was in the zone.”
Jugraj credits his form to rigorous preparation. “I study goalkeepers, match videos — I’m always learning,” he said.
“This league gave me the platform to show I can contribute as a goal-scorer, not just a defender.”
Jugraj is keen to translate his domestic success to the international stage. “I’m ready to step up again,” he said. “My focus is clear — deliver for India at the World Cup, Asian Games, and Olympics.”
