Gagan Ajit Singh is a prominent Indian field hockey striker, who captained the junior team that won the Junior World cup in 2001. He is the son of hockey player Ajit Singh. For his achievements, Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2002.
Early Life of Gagan Ajit Singh
Gagan Ajit Singh was born on 9th December in the year 1980 in Ferozepur, in the Indian state of Punjab. He is a field hockey striker who`s father Ajit Singh was a renowned field hockey player who played for the national team at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics.
He was educated at the Union Academy School and Jamia Millia Islamia, both located at Delhi. He picked up the game of Hockey at quite an early age, and also studied at Sports College in Jalandhar and Air India Hockey Academy, Delhi in the year 1995-96 to hone his game skills.
Career of Gagan Ajit Singh
Gagan Ajit Singh is one of the central cohesive source of support and stability of the present Indian hockey team. Gagan Ajit, a fleet-footed centre forwarder, made his first an outward appearance on the national circuit scoring a record of 27 goals in the 1997 Junior Nationals for the Air-India Academy. He also came out carrying on the good work, as the highest scorer for Air-India in the all-India Gurmit Singh tournament and the Jawaharlal Nehru tournament held in the year 1997.
He has made his international debut in the year 1997 during a test series against Russia. After this he participated in the Commonwealth Games 1998 held at Kuala Lumpur, the South African tour 1999, 14 European tours from the year 1999 to 2004, 10 Australian tours from 1999 to 2004 and Indo-Pak Series 1999 where he scored 17 goals and became highest scorer of India against the opponent nation. He also played at Sultan Azlan Shah Cup tournament held at Kuala Lumpur in 2000, Champions Challenge tournament 2001 and the New Zealand tour of 2001 where he scored 4 goals including a Hat-Trick. Singh played for India at the 2000 and the 2004 Summer Olympics; on both occasions India was in 7th place.
Awards and Honours of Gagan Ajit Singh
He was the member of the All-Asian men`s hockey team in the year 2002. For his outstanding performances, he was conferred the highest sports award in India, Arjuna Award in the year 2003 by Government of India. He was also awarded the Birla Foundation Award in 2002 and the Promising Junior Sportsperson Award by the Delhi Sports Journalists Association in 1997.
He works for the Punjab Police as Deputy Superintendent of Police, and continues to contribute to Indian hockey.
