NEW DELHI / NEW YORK (TIP): August 18th, 2020 was a sad day for all hockey aficionados. Ace hockey player Charanjit Singh Raheja breathed his last in New Delhi, India.

New York based Harvender Pal Singh who has worked with Charanjit Singh Raheja reminisced about the dear departed. “Charanjit Singh breathed and lived for hockey. His dedication towards this Indian national sport was unparalleled.

 “ Being a hockey  enthusiast and having worked long at Punjab &  Sind Bank, gave him the opportunity to promote this sport further. He was instrumental in creating the PSB Hockey Team in 1982 which ultimately produced    many international players , some  Olympians.

“While he was working as Chief Manger at the bank, he also  served as the Secretary of Delhi Hockey Association (DHA), General Secretary of Banks Sports Board (IBA) and  as Organizing Secretary of  S.Balwant Singh Kapur Memorial Hockey Society. He was also the Secretary , Sports of Punjab & Sind Bank for over two decades, and organized sports events for employees each year.

“Under his stewardship, in the first year of its formation, PSB Hockey team brought laurels to the bank by winning Indira Gandhi Gold Cup Hockey tournament at J&K. Under his continued encouragement and leadership, the team went on to win all the esteemed tournaments in India. Needless to add, PSB Hockey team was a force to reckon with under his charge.

“Going a step further, Charanjit Singh had a vision for  encouraging hockey in India. He instituted the PSB Hockey Academy which has also proven its worth by producing world class hockey players for the Indian Hockey Team. Besides being a good sportsman and a proponent of hockey, Charanjit Singh was a person who would go out of his way to help people. Words at this point will not be enough   to sum up his life. However, those we have loved cannot be lost because they are always a part of us.

Rest in peace, Charanjit Singh Raheja.”