In international sports, it is a common sight these days to see people of a particular country's origin representing a different country. While the cynics could bring a patriotic angle to this, ultimately, being a sportsman is just another highly competitive profession. Just like being an IT professional, doctor or engineer. Wouldn't you jump at the opportunity of switching to a different country if a lucrative job offer comes your way? That's just what sportsmen crave for too, opportunities and lucrative offers.
With the level of competition in sports among Asians, it is not surprising that a chunk of them have migrated to other countries in quest of better opportunities. The UAE cricket team, across its men's and women's team, boasts of a plethora of Asian-origin players, with India being a top contributor in this metric. So, when Simranjeet Singh made his international debut in 2024 against Saudi Arabia at Doha, you could have been forgiven for considering him as just another Indian-origin player representing UAE. However, the truth is more than that. There is a uniqueness behind Simranjeet Singh's origin that goes beyond India.
Simranjeet Singh is the world's first Amritdhari Sikh to play international cricket. Now, there have been Sikhs who played international cricket for many countries including India but never has there been an Amritdhari Sikh who has played international cricket. The left-arm spinner is part of the UAE squad in the ongoing tri-series featuring Afghanistan and Pakistan, and will also be part of the Asia Cup that starts next week.
What is different about Amridhari Sikhs?
Amritdhari Sikhs are those who have endured the Amrit Sanskar initiation ceremony which is done to induct them into the Khalsa which is referred as the community of the 'pure Sikhs'. Amritdhari Sikhs are binded by the Sikh Code of Conduct, called as Rahit Maryada. There are five major pointers that Amritdhari Sikhs are bound to follow.
1)While most Amritdhari Sikhs prefer to be vegetarian, they can eat meat except that it shouldn't one that is done for rituals like Halal meat.
2)They are not supposed to arrange the marriages of their children for financial advantages.
3)They are supposed to pay one-tenth of their income as a donation in the name of Guru, to help the poor.
4)They are not allowed to drink or gamble.
5)They are not supposed to trim their hair through any methods and must wear a wooden comb in their hair. They are also supposed to wear a steel band on the right wrist and must compulsorily wear cotton shorts named Kachera. The sword, Kirpan, is also supposed to be with them.
As you can see, Amritdhari Sikhs are people with extremely high discipline and that is what makes Simranjeet Singh's representation of the clan a laudable matter.