Balbir Singh Sr played hockey at a time when cricket was nowhere near being a pan-India sport, let alone a popular one. Hockey was what Indians had to compete with the world, they did that with authority and Balbir Singh Sr was one of the flag bearers of it. In the 1940s and 50s, Singh’s stick was regarded as nothing short of a magic wand. For he could score field goals from anywhere.
The three-time Olympic gold medal winner passed away on Monday in Chandigarh. He was 96 and is survived by his daughter and three sons. Here are the six biggest highlights of his career.
1) Before making a name for India, Balbir Singh Sr was a megastar in All India’s Inter-University tournaments. Under his captaincy, Punjab University won the title three years in a row from 1943 to 1945. He was selected for the Indian men’s hockey team for the 1948 Olympics in London.
2) Singh did not find a place in India’s star-studded playing XI at the beginning. He had to wait till the Argentina match for his turn in the 1948 Olympics. Despite being irregular in the starting XI in the tournament, Singh was given a go in the final against Great Britain and he repaid the faith shown on him by scoring a brace to help India win 4-0.
3) Four years later, in the Helsinki Olympics, Balbir Singh was an indispensable part of the Indian hockey team. He was even appointed the vice-captain for that Olympics. After scoring a hat-trick in the semi-final against Great Britain, he bettered his performance in the final of Olympics 1952 by netting five goals in India’s 6-1 win over the Netherlands. The world record for most goals in an Olympic final still stands with Singh.
4) In the 1956 Olympics, Balbir Singh Sr was the flag-bearer for India and also the captain of India’s hockey team. They beat Pakistan 1-0 in the finals to claim a hat-trick of gold medals at the Olympics.
5) Singh, who scored 246 goals in his 61 appearances for India, was also the manager of the Indian team that won gold in 1975 Hockey World Cup.
6) He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1957. That was the first time an athlete was conferred the prestigious civilian honour.