Boby Singh Dhami: ‘Accidental’ hockey player who fought through the toughest of times to play for India | Hockey News – Times of India

BHUBANESWAR: Things in life happen for a reason. We curse some things and then sometimes celebrate how life unfolds. But it’s only later, mostly years later, that a lot of us understand why things happened the way they happened. Boby Singh Dhami’s life journey so far which has seen him wearing the India hockey jersey is another such story waiting to be told.
“Ab mujhe bhagwan se koi shikayat nahi (now I have no complaints from God).” Boby’s first coach and his uncle, Prakash Singh, couldn’t hold back his emotions when Boby stepped onto the field in India’s quarter-final against Belgium at the ongoing Junior World Cup here in Bhubaneswar.
What’s more, it was the first time ever that the 19-year-old Boby’s parents saw him playing hockey ever since he picked up the stick as a 10-year-old kid. The emotions of his mother, who Boby is closest to, struggled for words amid a choking voice recalling the tough journey.
That explains Prakash’s mention of the word “shikayat” (complaint) in the above statement, which has a backdrop of trials and tribulations that the family fought through.
TESTING TIMES
Boby’s father, Shyam Singh Dhami, is a contractual MGNREGA worker these days, and mother Hema Dhami’s stable source of income as a teacher is what the family relies on, living in village Katyani of the Pithoragarh district in Uttarakhand.
Boby’s elder brother was recruited by the Indian Army last year.
But years ago, when Boby was only 10, tragedy struck.
His father used to be a jeep driver those days, ferrying passengers through the district that holds great political significance as the state’s last district adjoining Tibet. It also shares India’s border with Nepal.
During one such ride, the brakes of his jeep failed. Realising, he alarmed everyone in the vehicle to jump before the vehicle went off the road before going through the mountainous region.
He dived and saved himself, but unfortunately none of the other four passengers could. They all died.
What happened thereafter ruined the Dhami family’s simple and happy life.
The families of the passengers, said Boby’s mother, filed lawsuits against the father and demanded compensation. The aftermath of the tragic accident ruined them.
“Boby was just 10 then,” said his mother. “I was left with no choice but to send him to his uncle in Tanakpur.” She recalled while talking to TimesofIndia.com.

(Photo courtesy – Hockey India)
HOCKEY JOURNEY
The younger of the family’s two sons, it won’t be wrong to call Boby an ‘accidental’ hockey player in more than one way. It was his father’s ‘accident’ that led to the decision of him living with his uncle and it was ‘accidental’ that his uncle, a former national-level player, was a hockey coach.
“His nana (grandfather) advised me to let him stay with his uncle. Our financial situation was very bad then. We couldn’t afford his education, and there was no school as well in our village at that time. So we sent him to his uncle’s place,” said the mother.
Boby started accompanying his uncle Prakash to the ground in the morning, where Prakash trained local kids. Soon, he joined the lot and became one of the trainees.
Prakash spotted a talented striker in his nephew, encouraged him to take it seriously and it didn’t take long for Boby to be selected for Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun.
He was studying in sixth standard then. By the time he progressed to class 12, he had honed his skills enough to make the cut for the Sports Authority of India’s Sonepat centre. From thereon, he trained under SAI coaches Suresh Baithiyal and Pankaj Rawat and played the nationals as well.
“By playing for India, he has given me everything,” said Boby’s uncle Prakash while talking to TimesofIndia.com from Tanakpur. “I don’t have any desires left now to be fulfilled.”
“We are from a remote village at the border area. From here, Boby has gone on to play for India. What else can we ask for!”

(Photo courtesy – Hockey India)
DONNING THE INDIA JERSEY
After breaking into the core group of the junior Indian men’s team, Bobby’s CV received another major highlight thanks to him being selected for the 20-member Indian squad for the ongoing 2021 Junior World Cup.
And it was another ‘accident’ that gave Boby a chance to make his international debut.
One of India’s key playmakers Maninder Singh picked up a nasty hamstring injury in the team’s last pool game against Poland.
The Chandigarh Hockey Academy player was ruled out for the rest of the tournament and coach Graham Reid picked Boby from among the two ‘Alternate Players’ to be included in the playing squad of 18.
“The coach told me that Maninder’s injury won’t allow him to continue, so you have to play,” said Boby while talking to TimesofIndia.com.
Bobby was a livewire in the Indian attacking line against Belgium, impressing with his off-the-ball running, but also committing a few mistakes in a hurry to pass the ball.
“I was focusing on not doing anything extra and keeping it simple. But hastiness on a couple of occasions after I received the ball led to mistakes,” Boby admitted during a conversation with TimesofIndia.com.
The butterflies in the stomach now seem to be a thing of the past, and Boby hopes to do better in the semifinal against Germany on Friday.
“Pehli baar hota hi hai (it can happen to first-timers). Now I don’t have any nervousness, I feel comfortable. I have achieved my dream and will now play better,” the 19 year old further told TimesofIndia.com.
Boby echoed his parents’ emotion. After all, he was on the field representing India for the first time. He said staying away from home and belonging to a remote region in India were the reasons his mother and father could never see him play ever before.
“When I used to train in Dehradun, my home was very far from there…so they could never come. There were a lot of financial problems as well,” he said.
India’s win over Belgium in the quarterfinal has given Boby’s parents and coaches another chance to see him play, and possibly in the final as well if the defending champions can beat Germany in the semis.
Their pride and excitement is palpable, and it was best expressed in Prakash’s words.
“Uss din jab Boby ke paas D mein ball aayi, to main cheekha ‘Boby maar’. Aise laga jaise mai khel raha hu (when Boby got the ball the other day in the circle, I shouted ‘Boby take a shot’. I felt like I was playing on the field myself).”