Empowering girls through sports - The story of hockey coach Baldev Singh

The women’s hockey success story of Shahabad started in 1992 when the then Haryana Sports Department coach, Baldev Singh, returned to the city after an earlier stint of four years (1982-86) in the area.

Thanks to his efforts, Shahabad gained prominence on the women’s hockey world map.

For the last three decades, hockey has been transforming the lives of underprivileged girls in the area. The sport has not only made them independent but has also enabled them to uplift the socioeconomic status of their families.

Over 150 girls have secured jobs through sports quotas, and the city has witnessed over 60 girls representing the country in almost all international tournaments, including the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Olympic Games.

"During my initial four-year stint, I built a rapport with the locals, and when I returned to Shahabad in 1992, people trusted me enough to allow their girls to come to the hockey field," recalled Coach Baldev Singh, who received the country’s highest sporting honor, the Dronacharya Award. "I am happy that I have been able to bring visible change to the lives of these girls through hockey."

For the last 25 years, no Indian women’s hockey team, across all age groups, has left Indian shores without a girl from Shahabad in its ranks.

In the 2023 Asian Games, Shahabad's Navneet Kaur has earned a place in the Indian Women's squad.

"It’s the dedication and the hunger to achieve and provide a decent life for their families that is motivating these girls to achieve big in the sporting world,” added Baldev Singh, who retired as a deputy director from the Haryana Sports Department and is currently on assignment at Khalsa College, Amritsar. Many of his trainees from Shahabad have shifted their base to Amritsar so that they can train under Coach Baldev.

One can find numerous incredible success stories in Shahabad - stories of courage, overcoming adversities, and women using hockey as a tool to change their entire families' lives. Above all, their contribution in changing the narrative of women’s role in a male-dominated society is remarkable.