As Harjit Singh stood under the bar for Air India ready to thwart opposition attacks, he could not help himself from getting lost in a reverie. But he stood tall for his team and helped them score an emphatic 7-2 win over Pune in the last league match of the Mumbai division. However, even after winning the match, there was an additional joy which he wanted to share with his team-mates: he had received a call from the concerned authorities telling him to join the senior national camp at Pune from Wednesday.

"I was really excited when I heard the news. My father congratulated me on the call and even my coach and other family members were happy for me," Singh told Sportline over phone from Mumbai. "Though I play for the Air India senior team, this would be my first camp with the senior Indian team members. I knew that my hard work would bear fruit but I never expected to get the call so soon. My dreams have come true," the 20-year-old added.

Singh caught the eyes of the selectors from a young age when he displayed his talent at big stages and won two gold medals in Under-17 All India National School Games and a silver medal in the Under-19 National School Games in 2008. Spotting his flexibility and goal-saving abilities, Air India selected him for their senior team in 2007 and the team's bet paid off as he put forth impressive performances to win tournaments in Lucknow, Pune and Madras a year later after he joined. "I always tried to perform to the best of my abilities and luckily I got breaks at regular intervals. Though we finished ninth, it was quite an experience to play at international level," the GGS College, Sector 26, student said.

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