Having three meals a day regularly was not possible, says Arpinder’s father Jagbir Singh

08/30/2018

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As triple-jumper Arpinder went to bag a gold at the Asian Games being held in Jakarta/Palembang, his father shared that there was a time, when they could not afford three meals a day. Revealing his financial problems, Arpinder’s father stated that they had to mortgage their land to support him.

Arpinder's father, Jagbir Singh had retired from the from the Indian army as a 'hawaldar’ in the year 1990. Already faced with financial problems, it was very difficult for him to support Arpinder in his endeavours as he mentions that they had to even mortgage one and a half acre of their land in order to support him in his career as an international athlete.

“Till the time Arpinder won the bronze medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, our family had to undergo a lot of financial troubles. Ours was a hand-to-mouth situation. So much so that having three meals a day regularly was not possible,” Jagbir Singh told TOI.

“To make sure Arpinder's training went uninterrupted, we had to spend a lot of money. I had one-and-a-half-acre land, which I mortgaged to the moneylenders. Over and above that, my debts ran up to Rs 5 lakh. The situation at our house was very tense and the future was uncertain. It was only after Arpinder won the CWG medal in 2014 that we managed to free the land. He also made sure that I didn't have any debt riding on my head anymore,” he added.

Aprinder belongs to a small village in Amritsar. Harsha Chhina Uchha Qila near Amritsar is 20 km away from the India-Pakistan border. Jagbir Singh, being a member of the Indian army, had planted seeds of discipline inside Arpinder from the start. Playing hockey and Kabaddi in his days, Jagbir Singh wanted his son to become an International player.

“When Arpinder was a five-year old kid, I used to wake him up at three in the morning and made him run for 5 km everyday. Initially, he used to cry a lot, but he got used to the regimen,” Jagbir Singh said.

“He was in fifth grade when he started competing in different track and field events. He tried his hand in 100m, 200m, 300m and long jump. That's when his then coach DS Bal suggested him to pursue triple jump. The switch turned out to be right decision as he went on to win several medals in the event,” he said.

Arpinder's mother, Harmeet Kaur mentioned that her son had promised her that he would return with a gold from Jakarta.

“He had promised me that he would return with a gold medal. I am happy that he has fulfilled his promise,” she said.