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India woke up to the tragic news of the death of Balbir Singh Dosanjh or Balbir Singh Sr, as it was popularly known as the sports community.
A legend in the field of hockey, Balbir Singh, the father, was, perhaps, a name that not many would mention, in his greatest moment of Indian athletes on the list, but his name should actually be taken in the same sense as Major Major Dhyan Chand, Sachin Tendulkar, etc
Balbir Singh’s contribution to field hockey, especially of the independent India, was unparalleled. The generation of today may not be aware of this fact, but Balbir Singh sr. was a giant in his sport and the most decorated athlete in India the history of sports with Olympic medals in 1948, 1952 and 1956 Summer Games.
Their achievements go beyond three Olympic medals, because only its impact in the field of hockey, such as Dhyan Chand, was something that cannot be measured in mere words.
Regarded as the greatest centre-forward in the sport, Balbir Singh Sr and sprint legend Milkha Singh was so popular that it never requires an appointment to meet with the Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. “It is true. We can know him in the short term. He loved hockey,” Balbir Singh Sr had said.
OLYMPIC RUN
Balbir Singh Sr. played a key role in all three gold-medal winning performances at the Summer Games. His record for the most number of goals in the Olympic men’s hockey final is when you hit 5 goals in India’s 6-1 victory over the Netherlands in the match for the Gold medal of the Helsinki Games of 1952.
Under his Captaincy, India scored 38 goals and conceded none on their way to the Gold medal in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Beating England 4-0 in their own backyard during the Final of the 1948 Olympic Games as an independent nation was Balbir Sr ‘biggest moment’.
Balbir Singh Sr is also the only Asian male and only of India, between the ages of 16 athletes to be chosen as the “Iconic Olympic” by the International Olympic Committee through the modern Olympic games in history. He was one of the 16 iconic Olympians chosen[19] whose example “, tells of human strength and endeavour, passion, determination, hard work and achievement and demonstrates the values of the Olympic Movement”
He was also a member of the Indian hockey team that won the silver medal in the 1958 Asian Games.
SUCCESSFUL CAREER AS A COACH
Not only was he one of the greatest players of hockey, but he was also one of the most successful coaches India has ever had.
He coached the Indian team that won the Bronze Medal in the 1971 World Cup and was Manager of the Indian team that won the Gold Medal in the 1975 World Cup.
For Balbir Singh Sr stellar contribution to the game, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour in 1957 and was awarded with the Great Dhyan Chand Life Time Achievement Award by the Hockey India in 2014.
