Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar, Mr. Varjeet Walia, IAS, has officially been appointed as the 22nd President of the renowned Surjit Hockey Society. The society, a cornerstone of Indian hockey, was established in 1984 to honor the legacy of Olympian Surjit Singh Randhawa, the legendary former captain of the Indian Hockey Team.
The appointment was formalized during a high-level meeting chaired by the Society’s Working President, Mr. Lekh Raj Nayar, IRS (Retd.), in accordance with the organization’s constitution. During the proceedings, the members expressed profound gratitude to the outgoing President, former DC Mr. Himanshu Aggarwal, for his dedicated service and contributions to the sport.
According to the CEO of the Society, Mr. Iqbal Singh Sandhu, PCS (Retd.), the committee members met the newly appointed President and Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Varjeet Walia, after the meeting. He was apprised of the Society’s activities, the functioning of the Surjit Hockey Academy, and the preparations for the 43rd Indian Oil Surjit Hockey Tournament–2026.
DC Varjeet Walia appreciated the efforts of the Society and assured full support from the district administration for the promotion of hockey to the society. DC Varjeet Walia further stated that the vast experience of the Society would also be utilized during the Asian Hockey Championship scheduled to be held in October this year by the Punjab Government.
During the meeting, a two-minute silence was observed to pay homage to the late Gurvinder Singh ‘Gullu’ Bathla, Founder Member and Chief PRO of the Society, on his untimely demise. On this occasion Lekh Raj Nayar & Lakhwinder Pal Singh Khahira (Working President), Ranbir Singh Tutt (Secretary), Surinder Singh Bhapa (General Secretary), Ram Partap and Mr. Amrik Singh Pawar (Senior Vice Presidents), Simardeep Singh Bathla, Harinder Singh Sangha, Kulwinder Singh Thiyara, Gurinder Singh Sangha, Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Lali, Guriqbal Singh Dhillon, and Karandeep Singh.