Ashpal Kaur
Description
Ashpal Kaur belongs to a Sikh family which came to UK as refugees from Idi Amin’s repression in
Uganda. This family was steeped in the game of hockey. Ashpal’s father and uncle Satvinderpal singh Bhogal
were elite hockey players. Her father has been a hockey coach at the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education
at Leeds Metropolitan University. Ashpal was born in 1994 in Leeds, UK. She started playing hockey at a
very young age of 9 years. She represented Harrogate Hockey Club Woman’s 1st team and has been playing
there for the last many years. She came in to prominence when she became the first Sikh-Briton female
player to be selected in any of the England Woman’s Hockey international programs at the age of 15 years
only. She made it through several months of rigorous assessment to earn her place in the 18-strong party.
She has moved through the England Hockey’s new single system process and has excelled at every age
group. England played against Germany, Spain and host Holland during the five day compition and Ashpal
excelled in her performance. Her coach has rightly said “What she has done is inspirational and I cannot
yet convey in words how proud our family is of Ashpal”. Although, a conterversy had arisen some days
back when she levied some charges against the Indian hockey captain Sardara Singh regarding the truth of
which is yet to be ascertained, the fact remains that Ashpal has brightened the name of her community by
becoming a bright star of hockey in a country other than India. We have big hopes from her that she will
make greater achievements in the coming years and will inspire the young girls to follow her and make their
name in sports.
