Vikrant Shekhawat : Dec 17, 2020, 09:29 AM
Jalandhar: After an eight-year courtship, wedding bells finally rang for Indian hockey team captain Manpreet Singh (28) and his Malaysian fiancée Illi Najwa Saddique (27).The wedding took place at a gurdwara at Guru Teg Bahadur Nagar here on Wednesday. It was followed by lunch for about 60-70 invitees at Manpreet’s native Mithapur village.Manpreet donned a ceremonial Punjabi wedding suit complete with a turban, while Illi wore a Punjabi bridal costume.Sharing his love story, Manpreet said: “We met in 2012 when I had gone to Malaysia for the Sultan of Johor Cup. She was among the spectators. We had a brief interaction and I was carried away by her charm. I managed to get her phone number and stayed in touch. We got engaged in February 2014.”When asked if Illi would return to Malaysia, he said: “She will stay with my family here. She is getting accustomed to the Punjabi culture and has already become fond of it. We have given her a Punjabi name, Navpreet Kaur.”The Malaysia-born bride’s family hails from Pakistan. Illi was working in a private university in Malaysia.The couple had reportedly been planning wedding earlier this year, but travel restrictions due to the pandemic made them put off their plan.“We have followed all Covid-related guidelines and invited a limited number of guests. I am a bit disappointed that I could not invite my entire team,” Manpreet said.Jalandhar Cantonment MLA Pargat Singh was among the invitees.A varsity employeeMalaysia-born Illi Najwa’s family hails from PakistanPrior to her marriage, Illi was working in a private universityThe couple met in Malaysia in 2012 when Manpreet went there for a tournament