Statistics show that India have been amongst the top four every time Gurinder Singh has participated in a tournament. With a place secured in the semi-finals of the FIVB junior world championships, Gurinder may certainly be considered India’s lucky charm, but his consistent performances of 20 points or more per game in the tournament have involved much more than sheer luck.

With his sheer power, grit and pin point accuracy, Gurinder starred in India’s victory against Belgium, his 26 points being vital to India’s overwhelming victory on Thursday.

Gurinder started playing volleyball at the age of 12 on the courts of the Shivalik Public School in Chandigarh, the same school where his father is a bus driver. He took it up seriously when SAI coach Mohan Nargeta decided to take him under his wing and work on his skills. After a successful stint on the national circuit, he played his first match for the Indian under-19 team at the children’s Asia tournament in 2004, which was won by India.

He was then a part of an Indian team that won the bronze medal at the Youth Asian Championships held in Tehran in 2005. Gurinder made his debut for the junior team in the Asian Junior Championships in 2006 in Tehran where India won the bronze medal.

After missing out on selection for the World Championship in 2007 due to a knee injury, he has made sure his debut in Pune is a memorable one. “I called my father first to tell him the good news about today’s victory. He told me now to call him back only when India wins a medal,” he signed off.