Former international-level kabaddi player Gurjeet Singh from the Toot village, who had earned a name for himself on kabaddi grounds in India and abroad, died Tuesday night while undergoing treatment at Guru Gobind Singh Government Medical College in Faridkot. He was 45.His cremation was held at the village cremation ground this morning, where hundreds of villagers, relatives, political leaders and personalities from the sports fraternity gathered to pay their last respects. His untimely demise has left the entire region in deep shock.According to family members, Gurjeet Singh was a Class 12 pass-out. His father, Gurmail Singh, is a farmer, while his mother, Jaswinder Kaur, is a homemaker. He was married to Gursharan Kaur, and the couple had a 10-year-old daughter, Jaskirat Kaur.Gurjeet’s coach, Amarinder Singh Ruby, said Gurjeet had initially taken up basketball before entering the world of kabaddi in 1995. “He won his first match in the 62-kg category in his village, which gave him the confidence to pursue the game seriously. By 2002, he had established himself as a prominent player and we were all proud of him,” said Ruby.In 2004, Gurjeet travelled to England for the first time to play kabaddi and impressed everyone with his performance. He was named “Best Raider in England” in 2005. Later, he travelled to Canada to participate in a kabaddi championship, where he suffered a hip injury during a match. Although the injury prevented him from winning the top honour, his performance again left a lasting impression on spectators. He returned to Canada in 2007 and won the Best Raider award.Known for his aggressive and powerful raiding style, Gurjeet had even set a record of playing and winning three kabaddi tournaments in a single day. Through kabaddi, he brought recognition to his village in India and abroad. Such was his aura that his name was mentioned in songs by singers Angrej Ali and Arjan Dhillon. During his career, Gurjeet won hundreds of trophies, five Royal Enfield motorcycles, a well-bred horse and several other prizes, Ruby said.The tragic irony was that Gurjeet, who once inspired youngsters to stay away from drugs and take up sports, himself fell victim to drug addiction. According to family members, he started consuming drugs in 2012, and the habit gradually turned into an addiction. Despite repeated efforts by his family to help him overcome the menace, Gurjeet tried several times to quit through sheer willpower and managed to stay away from drugs for up to three months at a time. However, he relapsed whenever the addiction returned.His prolonged drug abuse eventually affected his kidneys, following which he began treatment at AIIMS Bathinda. Coach Ruby said Gurjeet had gone to Chandigarh on July 19 to meet his wife and daughter when his health suddenly deteriorated. He was admitted to PGIMER. He was brought back home only two days ago but was readmitted to Guru Gobind Singh Medical College in Faridkot after his condition worsened.Gurpreet Singh Sekhon, gangster-turned-politician and social worker who attended Gurjeet’s cremation, said his death was a major loss to the entire kabaddi fraternity and could never be compensated. He urged sportspersons, particularly youngsters, to stay away from drugs, saying that protecting the youth from addiction was the need of the hour.