Sardar Singh joins top European club

CHANDIGARH/KOLKATA: Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh has been signed by current European Hockey League (EHL) champions HC Bloemendaal for the upcoming season. Founded in 1895, Bloemendaal is one of the oldest field hockey teams in The Netherlands. Hockey India (HI) brokered the deal with the Dutch club on behalf of Sardar. The star player will be seen in action for the club latest by next month.Sardar will be paid 50,000 euros for one season (approx 45 lakhs), which is more than what he got in the Hockey India League auction.
Last year, Sardar and drag-flicker Sandeep Singh had tried their hands with another Dutch club, Laren. This time Sardar has gone a notch higher. Sardar will be replacing legendary Dutch striker Teun de Nooijer in the team, who recently announced his retirement from the sport. Talking to TOI over phone, Sardar said that he was looking forward to rub shoulders with the best in the world.
"I am really excited to get this offer. It's a dream come true for me. When I started playing hockey, Dutch players like Taeke Taekema and de Noojier were my idols. I used to watch them on TV. The Dutch League is one of the most competitive hockey leagues in the world. And there is a lot to learn from European hockey. I'll try and perform to the best of my abilities," the 27-year-old said.
In the HIL this year, the Delhi Waveriders bagged Sardar for a whopping Rs 42,90,000, one of the highest prices in players' auction. Sardar was one of the five marquee players in league.
'Video referral must in meets like Asia Cup'
Sardar, meanwhile, rued the absence of the video referral system at the Asia Cup, where India finished runners-up. Having played brilliantly throughout the tournament, Sardar & Co. went down to South Korea 3-4 in the final after the Koreans were awarded a controversial penalty corner in the dying minutes of the match, and converted it.