Yograj Singh, father of Yuvraj Singh, was considered a great talent during his playing days. Though he could not make it big at the international level as a player, as a coach he trained his son to be world champion. Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun also trained under him. Yograj Singh has an academy, the videos of which can be found on social media. In those videos, Yograj Singh gives a per perception of being a hard task master. Yograj, whose rigorous training of Yuvraj, is a well-known was recently asked about his training academy.
"If anyone wants to join your academy, what mind set should that kid come in with?" Yograj Singh was asked.
"First of all, the fear of death should end. When I was three years old, my dad told my mom that we were going on a tiger hunt. My mom was afraid. My dad said, "If he dies, it won't make any difference. But I will make him like a tiger'. So that three year kid is sitting with his mother in the jungle of kaladhungi. My father was carrying a rifle and it was a moonlit night. We were sitting on a machaan (elevated platform). And then the tiger came, the kid was about to shout but my mom held his mouth. Then my dad shot the tiger from six feet. Shot dead in the head. He fell like a mountain," Yograj said in an interview on Switch.
"The kid was speechless. My father told my mom to take me down. He then held me and said, "sher ka baccha ghas nahi khata (a tiger cub doesn't eat grass). That voice went like an echo. He made me sit on the tiger and smeared its blood on my lips and forehead. I still have that photo in my home.
"I think my academy is like that. I have made Yuvraj like that. Fearless."
Yograj Singh played one Test and six ODIs for India.