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Brothers in arms at Bengaluru FC
Ever since younger brother Prabhsukhan made the cut at the Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA), the older sibling has replayed this scene in his mind time and time again: him at the heart of the defence and his brother in goal for India
Gursimrat Singh is keener than usual this season. Because it could take the Bengaluru FC (BFC) centre-back a step closer to realising a recurrent dream. And he is looking forward to family time after a decade of treading the hard yards to becoming a professional footballer.
Ever since younger brother Prabhsukhan made the cut at the Chandigarh Football Academy (CFA), the older sibling has replayed this scene in his mind time and time again: him at the heart of the defence and his brother in goal for India. “With my mother in the stands,” says Gursimrat, 22.
The brothers owe more than a debt of gratitude to Hardev Kaur Gill. “She is a single mother. I don’t know how but whenever we needed something, she would always provide it. When I signed for BFC for the first time (2016), I gave her my full bonus. It was then that she said that her savings were exhausted and that she had sold some jewellery,” says Gursimrat after Bengaluru FC opened their 129th Durand Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Army Red.
This term, mother and sons will be in Bengaluru after Prabsukhan, India’s second goalkeeper in the 2017 under-17 World Cup, joined the Indian Super League champions. “It will be a family reunion,” says Gursimrat. It will mean playing a lot of numbers by Punjabi singers Sidhu Moose Wala and Karan Aujla and food cooked by mom though I have learnt to make dal, he says.
“The longest time we stayed together since 2007 was for one month in the off-season this year,” says Gursimrat.
Otherwise, the older brother was either at Northeast United FC or Bengaluru FC, India age-group teams, the All India Football Federation’s Elite Academy in Goa or the CFA learning the ropes under the former India legend Harjinder Singh. Since 2007 when he joined CFA, Gursimrat has been a visitor to what used to be home in Ludhiana district’s Sarabha village.
After training with Harjinder --- it was at Gursimrat’s insistence that Prabhsukhan too joined CFA -- the younger one travelled the world readying for the 2017 World Cup and signed for Indian Arrows. Prabhsukhan played left-back and centre-back initially but Harjinder Sir felt he would make a good goalkeeper because he is tall and brave, says Gursimrat. “He was also looking for a goalie then.”
For the first time the Gills are in the same team and because Hardev will be in Bengaluru, she could be in the stands watching her sons at work. “There are a lot of tournaments: AFC Cup, Super Cup, ISL, it could happen,” says the Sergio Ramos fan.
Prabhsukhan, who is with the national team in Bhubaneswar for the Asian under-19 qualifiers, has a better chance of making the BFC first team where he is Gurpreet Singh Sandhu’s understudy, than him, says Gursimrat who is behind Juanan, Albert Serran and Rahul Bheke, who can play right-back and centre-back, in the pecking order.
“The Indian Arrows is the best experiment for young players. For me, it was a big jump from the U-19 Elite Academy to BFC (in 2016). Prabhsukhan took little steps to get there. He is four years younger but having had two seasons in the I-League, BFC coaches will look at him differently. Time was when I was his role model. Now, it is me who will need to do the catching up,” says Gursimrat.
That explains why Gursimrat is here for the Durand Cup. “Even before they could ask me, I told the team management that I wanted to play. I need to play more games this season. That is the only measure of where you are as a footballer,” says Gursimrat.
