A decade after seeing his Olympic dream shattered, Talwinder Singh is still lighting up the domestic circuit with his pace and stick skills, regularly producing match-winning performances for his departmental team, Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL).Talwinder, who hails from Mithapur village, emerged from the renowned Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar and rose through the national ranks alongside batchmates Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh and Akashdeep Singh.He played in the 2013 Junior World Cup before making his senior debut later that year. Talwinder remained part of the senior core group until 2018, when he played his last international tournament. His best phase, however, came in 2015-16 when he established himself as a regular in the Indian team. After winning a silver medal at the 2016 Champions Trophy, he was among the favourites to earn a place in the Rio Olympics squad. But in a contentious decision, Talwinder was left out, while midfielder Sardar Singh was selected in the forward line.“It was heartbreaking because I was playing really well and had been selected for most tournaments in the run-up to the Olympics,” said Talwinder.After his international career ended at 24, Talwinder still had plenty of hockey left in him. He became a star player for IOCL, consistently delivering match-winning performances. In one tournament five years ago, Talwinder was even gifted a Benelli motorcycle, which he still rides to his village ground.Last year, Talwinder inspired IOCL to a famous victory over a star-studded Punjab Police side at the Surjit Hockey Tournament in Jalandhar.“We created history by defeating the India team,” Talwinder said jokingly.“Punjab Police resembled the India team, with Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet and others playing for them. In the first half, they took a 2-0 lead. We tried to play their game with a zonal structure, but the India players were used to it. At the half-time break, I told my team not to get overwhelmed by the international players and to give their all. We switched to a man-to-man press in the second half and got two quick goals to level the scores,” said Talwinder, who scored twice to put his team ahead.“But Harmanpreet was in some form that day, scoring four goals to take the match to a shootout. We won eventually, but even the India players later said it was the best match they had ever played in domestic hockey,” he added.Talwinder said the regular participation of current India stars would provide a boost to domestic tournaments, which have lost much of their popularity over the years.“You can see the packed stadiums during the Asian Champions Trophy matches. Fans want to watch India stars play live. Even last year’s IOCL-Punjab Police match drew a big crowd. Watching your heroes up close is an inspirational experience for budding hockey players,” he said.Talwinder is also doing his bit to inspire the next generation.Posted in Jalandhar, the 32-year-old trains daily at his village ground, which recently got a synthetic turf, whenever he is not playing in tournaments.He also makes sure to share his knowledge with young trainees at the Mithapur Hockey Academy. He is one of five players from the village to have represented India over the past decade. The list also includes Varun Kumar and current India players Manpreet, Mandeep and Krishan Pathak.“We give them training tips whenever we can. Even Udita (the former India player who is married to Mandeep) coaches these kids regularly,” Talwinder said. “This is our way of giving back to hockey,” he added.