2023-10-26 08:24:50
Balbir Singh, who won the country three gold medals in the Olympic Games, became the golden identity of independent India. When India won gold in the 1948 Olympics, it was independent India’s first Olympic gold medal.
When we talk about Indian hockey, the first thing that comes to mind is the golden era when from 1928 to 1960, the Indian men’s hockey team won six consecutive titles in the Olympics and made the country proud across the world. History is witness to the fact that India has loved hockey and hockey has loved India very much.
There were many such hockey players whose ability and skill made even the critics become fans and everyone became crazy about them.
One such player in the Indian men’s hockey team was Balbir Singh Dosanj, who gave his blood and sweat to the soil of his country and was an equal partner in every victory in hockey.
People know him as Balbir Singh Senior.
Hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr. is considered to be the best centre-forward player of all time. Following the Indian hockey team’s second hat-trick of Olympic gold in 1948, 1952 and 1956, his sporting prowess gave the nation many occasions to celebrate and helped carve a distinct identity in the post-independence years. young balbir
Born in Punjab to Karam Kaur, a freedom fighter, and Dalip Singh Dosanjh, Balbir Singh rarely saw his father at home. His father was sometimes involved in the freedom struggle and sometimes was spending days in jail. It would not be wrong to say that serving the country was in Balbir Singh’s blood.
When Balbir Singh became the star of the state team
Hockey fascinated him from an early age. He started playing this game when he was five years old. Then, when at the age of 12 he watched India’s hockey team win its third Olympic gold medal in 1936, Balbir Singh Sr. knew what he wanted to do next with his life.
He started out as a goalkeeper and then started playing in the back four. But he got a true idea of his skills for the first time when he got a chance to play in the local tournament as a striker.
Soon he started playing for the state team of Punjab.
The Punjab team had not won a medal in the Nationals for 14 years, but Balbir Singh Sr. made an important contribution in helping them win two consecutive national titles in 1946 and 1947.
“The greatest happiness is to play for the country”
Balbir Singh became the flag bearer of the Indian team in the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.
For the first time in 1932, he was selected for the London Olympics and in this, Balbir Singh proved himself by scoring eight goals while playing two matches.
He has described this experience as very special. Speaking in an interview, he said, “When I hoisted the tricolor at Wembley, I jumped with joy. Playing for the country was the greatest joy of my life.”
Four years later, at the 1952 Helsinki Games, Balbir Singh Sr. was the flag-bearer of the Indian contingent and KD Babu was selected as the vice-captain.
The foreign conditions in Finland did not allow him to progress much, he could score only nine goals. He scored a hat-trick against Great Britain in the semi-finals before performing better in the final.
Balbir Singh Sr. scored 9 goals in the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.
He scored five goals against the Netherlands and this still stands as the record for the most goals scored by a player in an Olympic men’s hockey final.
india vs pakistan final match
Balbir Singh Sr. was selected as the captain of the Indian hockey team till the 1956 Olympics. Balbir Singh Sr. suffered a fracture in his right hand, putting his participation in the Olympic final in doubt.
However, the last final clash was against another tough opponent Pakistan and hence the inspired captain decided to play through the pain. He led the Indian hockey team to a 1-0 win, ensuring its sixth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
He then became the first sportsperson to be awarded the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, in 1957.
Balbir Singh became the first sportsperson to be awarded the Padma Shri.
He was part of the silver-winning team at the 1958 Asian Games, an event in which hockey was included for the first time.
victory in the world cup
Balbir Singh retired in 1960 and continued his duties as an Assistant Superintendent with the Punjab Police. Along with this, he was also a part of the selection committee of the Indian hockey team.
Due to his love for the game of hockey, he could not stay away from it for very long.
Balbir Singh Sr. was the coach of the Indian hockey team when the team succeeded in winning the bronze medal in the first World Cup in 1971. After this, he became the support of the team for its only World Cup win in 1975.
Balbir Singh Sr., who had a unique game, unique technique and excellent finishing skills, was of a very simple nature. He is no more in this world but every Indian is proud of his career and life.
Also read- Lady Bose: The unsung heroine who gave Indian women the right to vote
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