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Abbotsford field hockey player launches GoFundMe to pay for World Cup trip

Jyoth Sidhu has been named to Team Canada’s world junior field hockey team for World Cup in India
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Abbotsford’s Jyoth Sidhu is hoping to raise money to allow him to represent Canada in the sport of field hockey at several big events. (Instagram photo)

A young Abbotsford field hockey player is looking for an assist from the community to represent Canada on the international stage.

Earlier this week, Rick Hansen Secondary School student Jyoth Sidhu created a GoFundMe to aid in his journey as part of the Team Canada junior national field hockey team.

Sidhu and Team Canada qualified for the 2021 Junior World Cup after finishing fourth at the Junior Pan American Championship earlier this year. The Junior World Cup runs from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5 in Bhubaneswar, India.

He stated on his Instagram page how much of an honour it would be to compete at the event.

“Anyone who knows me could tell you how much field hockey is integral to who I am,” he posted.

“It is not only a passion of mine; it is the driving force for my hopes and aspirations. After many gruelling years of dedication and practice, I have finally been selected to play on the Junior National Field Hockey team, a reality that I still find hard to fathom. This means so much to not only myself, it means the world to my parents, who have done everything in their power to get me to where I am today.”

Sidhu goes on to explain the costs associated with the team, including $7,700 for travel to the World Cup event.

“This is a hefty sum for my humble family and myself and so I sincerely request that you consider supporting me in this dream of mine,” he wrote. “If you choose to donate even the slightest amount to help me represent and show my ability, it would mean more to me than I could ever put into words.”

The early response to the fundraiser has been impressive, with Sidhu already surpassing his original goal of $7,700. He is now fundraising for the chance to compete at the Pan American event in 2022 and the Junior World Cup in 2023. His current goal is now $15,000 and he has raised $11,126 as of this story.

“Thank you to everyone who helped me achieve my original goal,” his update states. “I am beyond grateful! Given the momentum of such support I’ve raised the goal now to include for the upcoming events that me and Maan will also be apart of.”

Sidhu is a midfielder on the team and he plays junior for Gobind Sarvar and for the Burnaby Lakers men’s team.

According to his Field Hockey BC profile, Sidhu is a six-time B.C. champion in the sport and has been playing field hockey since the age of four.

For more information or to donate, visit gofundme.com/f/help-me-go-to-the-junior-world-cup.

RELATED: Field hockey star Sidhu ticketed for Youth Olympics in China



Ben Lypka

About the Author: Ben Lypka

I joined the Abbotsford News in 2015.
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