He’s proof that proxy prayers work

Recent success has left hockey player Sardar Singh with no time to pray. But his family connects with God on his behalf.
Who: Sardar Singh, midfielder, Indian hockey teamYou know him as:Player of the Tournament after India thrashed France in the final of the Olympic Qualifiers in New Delhi last month. Hailing from a small hamlet in Haryana’s Sant Nagar, Singh matured from inside-forward to centre-half, a position he relished for a while, before he was asked to defend in the 2010 Azlan Shah Cup.In 2008, under his captaincy, India reached the finals of the Azlan Shah Cup after 12 years. He is currently DSP with the Haryana police.
What’s your first childhood memory of God? I remember praying a lot with my family. I belong to the Namdhari sect of the Sikh community, and I think it’s the blessings of His Holiness Sri Satguru Jagjit Singhji, the religious head of Namdharis, that’s helped me get to where I am.
The one time in your life you prayed with all your might, is… Unfortunately, I don’t get enough time to pray anymore, since I am always busy with hockey practice or matches. But my family prays for me, and that helps.
If someone were to give you crayons and drawing paper, and tell you to paint God, what would he/she look like? I cannot draw God, because you can’t compare Him to anybody or any form. He is omnipresent.
If you had to break down a successful match in terms of three factors — individual hard work, the form you are in on D-day, God and destiny — what weightage would you give to each? I think it’s an equal combination of all three.
Do you pray before a match, and to whom? I always pray before and after a match to Sri Satguru Jagjit Singhji.
A world without God would be… Nothing but a vacuum.
Do you have a lucky charm? No, I don’t believe in charms.
norbert.rego@timesgroup.com