For Kothajit Singh, the Indian senior men team’s failure to seal a 2014 World Cup berth in the Hockey World League Round 3 event in Rotterdam was not the lone disappointment.
The Indian midfielder was experiencing the blues when he came to learn about the death of his childhood coach, Waribam Herojit Singh, when he was returning home along with his team-mates from Rotterdam.
“I was on my return flight to India from Rotterdam. I came to learn about his demise when I reached Dubai en route to India. I immediately rushed to Manipur as soon as I landed in India. His death is a huge personal loss for me,” Kothajit says in an exclusive interview to Sportskeeda.
Waribam Herojit Singh died after suffering a stroke in Imphal recently. Waribam Herojit Singh was the honorary secretary of Hockey Manipur, whose president is former speedy winger and Olympian Thoiba Singh.
The 20-year-old reminisces how he learnt the tricks of the trade from Waribam Herojit Singh during his starting days at the Posterior Hockey Academy in Imphal.
“I learnt playing hockey under him along with two others at the Posterior Hockey Academy. Herojit was a good coach, who knew how to get the best out of the boys. He is one of the best coaches around in Manipur and his death is surely going to leave a big void in the hockey fraternity.”
Herojit was a decent player as well, having represented Manipur in various national events with distinction. Kothajit says his guru was so fond of hockey that he did not event get married.
“He was obsessed with playing or coaching hockey. His craze for hockey was such that he refrained from tying the knot.”
However, Herojit was beginning to have a change of mind and was considering getting married even though he was in the mid-forties.
“Actually, Herojit Sir was mulling getting hitched after ignoring it for a long time. It’s so sad that his death came about in this manner.”
The death of his childhood coach has left Kothajit only more aware about the realities of life.
“Life is so unpredictable. I was abroad playing for the country and on my return flight back home I hear the demise of my guru,” he signed off on a sad note.
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