Punjab has reported over 40 flood-related deaths, though Gurdaspur has been spared fatalities so far. Around 6,000 people have been evacuated from the district.
Standing 6’4”, Rupinder earned 223 senior caps and 119 goals for India. He was India’s second-highest goal-scorer at Tokyo 2020 – only behind Harmanpreet Singh – and converted a crucial penalty stroke in the bronze medal match against Germany.
He made his debut in 2010 and retired soon after Tokyo 2020 while still in great form at the age of 30.
While the Tokyo 2020 medal will forever define his career, in Punjab, his resilience is being tested in an arena where the spirit of an Olympian is once again on full display.
For Gurwinder Singh Chandi, a London 2012 Olympian with 97 internationals, the relief work has also underlined the importance of teamwork.
“An old man was bitten by a snake and taken to a doctor. Apart from this, there was a girl’s wedding, who was taken from a village to the wedding venue. A pregnant woman was also taken to a safe place where she delivered the next day,” he reported.
Jugraj Singh, part of India’s Junior World Cup win in 2001, stressed that the hardest task may still lie ahead. “The priority was rescue, then providing rations and medicines. Now medical camps are being organised with doctors and NGOs. The real challenge will start after the waters recede – rebuilding homes and farmland.”
For Jugraj, the parallel between sport and crisis is clear. “A player sees a lot of ups and downs, which makes you mentally and physically strong. That’s very important in such situations,” he summed up.