Xtra Time Web Desk: Former India football team coach Sukhwinder Singh will be leaving the country for good. Regarded as one of the country’s successful football coaches, Sukhwinder has decided to settle in Canada. He will be leaving for Canada on Sunday and is unlikely to return unless there is an emergency. The 72 year old veteran coach has already sold his house in Phagwara. He will be staying with his son who is already settled in Canada. Under his tenure as the national coach, India beat UAE at the 2001 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Sukhwinder Singh enjoyed one of the longest spells in charge of the national teams at various levels — starting in 1986 when he was made the under-16 coach. After a couple of years with the sub-juniors, he spent three valuable years under the Hungarian Josef Gelei with the Under-19 squad. Thereafter, he remained the chief coach of the senior national team over two stints for nearly five years and also served as the technical director for the 2002 Asian Games.
Sukhwinder Singh was also very successful in club football in the country. Under him JCT Mills Phagwara was a force to reckon with in Indian club football. He was the man behind JCT’s dominance in the 90’s as the club from Punjab challenged Kolkata giants East Bengal and Mohun Bagan. He was also the technical director for Minerva Punjab.