Ex-hockey player, who works as porter, gets govt job in Punjab

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said a former hockey player, Paramjeet, who currently works as a labourer, will be given a job by his government as a coach in the sports department.

ਫ਼ਰੀਦਕੋਟ ਜ਼ਿਲ੍ਹੇ ਦੇ ਨੈਸ਼ਨਲ ਹਾਕੀ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਪਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ,ਜੋ ਸਰਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਣਗਹਿਲੀ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਿਕਾਰ ਨੇ ਤੇ ਹੁਣ ਮਜ਼ਦੂਰੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਗੁਜ਼ਾਰਾ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਨੇ…ਪਰਮਜੀਤ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲਣ ਲਈ ਸੱਦਿਆ ਤੇ ਹਾਕੀ ਦੇ ਕੋਚ ਵਜੋਂ ਭਰਤੀ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਭਰੋਸਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ…ਜਲਦ ਹੀ ਕਾਗਜ਼ੀ ਕੰਮ ਪੂਰਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਨੌਕਰੀ ਦੇਵਾਂਗੇ…ਖਿਡਾਰੀਆਂ ਦਾ ਮਾਣ-ਸਨਮਾਨ ਕਰਨਾ ਸਾਡਾ ਫ਼ਰਜ਼ ਹੈ… pic.twitter.com/XDSxx92Gwu

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) February 2, 2023

Mann tweeted the video of the meeting with Paramjeet, 30, where he said he works as a ‘palledar’, a labour work includes loading and unloading rice and wheat sacks from trucks, at the Faridkot mandi. During his interaction, the chief minister said that Paramjeet will be recruited as a hockey coach in the sports department, and soon formalities in this regard will be completed.

"You will have a fantastic working environment," Mann said, adding, "We have to make Punjab and the country No. 1 in sports... Hockey is our traditional game, and Punjab is known as hockey nursery".

On being questioned whether the prior government took note of his plight, the ex-hockey player said, "No, did not get any response."

Paramjeet also said to Mann that he wants to make his son a hockey player, but that it seems difficult given his family's financial situation.

Earlier, he was a part of the Sports Authority of India and the Punjab squad, where he won medals in various hockey tournaments, Paramjeet said.

However, he had an injury to his left hand a few years ago that kept him out of the game for a long period and affected his hockey career. He started working as a "palledar" a few years ago as a result of his injury.