STOCKTON, Ca.: Football in this country is what the rest of the world refers to as “American Soccer”. It is a game which enjoys top priority in United States. On Super Bowl Sunday, almost everything comes to a near standstill. It’s a game where 11 players play offense and defense. Penalties are for 5, 10, and 15 yards. If you jump off side a 5 yard penalty results and for a non-sportsman like behavior a 15 yard penalty. Teams get four down to get a first down, for which 10 yards are required and more if you happen to be penalized. The season has just ended but for one young Sikh the football has just started.

Surjeet Singh Dosanjh is a young lad of 17 years. He was born and bred in Lodi, where he grew up fascinated by this game. His father Amarjeet Dosanjh took great care for his son to play the game. Surjeet started as offensive guard, then to right guard. At Tokay High School, he was linebacker (who on field is considered mean and nasty). This young lad, bubbling with energy has won quite a few laurels made to the north Stockton Bengal.

Received M.V.P. for defense and moved up to varsity team and quite a few other honors have been bestowed on him.

Football being a contact sport and the risk of injury always high does not deter this highly competitive player “the injury problems can happen at any time, you don’t even have to be on the football field. To me the sport is a challenge”.

This year after graduation, Surjeet intends doing four years of university, most of them in California. His major will be physical therapy.

Soon he will be playing baseball and switch to football as the season starts.

“The American life has always been a part of me”, he says, “but I will always remember where my parents and other relatives came from”. His parents have helped him a lot in shaping his life, “they remind me about my rich culture and heritage”.

A sportsman that he is, Surjeet spends his spare time in the gym, working out, playing baseball, racquetball and golf.

Asked if he would be playing pro football someday, Surjeet said, “I plan to continue playing football, for as long as I possibly can”.

This lad can only go one way and that is the top. For that he will need luck. World Sikh News wishes him best, may glory be his.

Raj Singh

Article extracted from this publication >> February 5, 1988