Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, May 25
For a legend as tall as Balbir Singh Sr, memories of his career were part and parcel of his everyday life. There was not a single day when he would not reminisce the good old times of his golden years as a hockey player and would love to talk about it whenever he had a chance.
“You are very young, I could make you sit on the same sofa for three days and talk about my achievements and what all my team has done,” Balbir was quoted as having said to a reporter during an interview on his 91st birthday in 2015.
A favourite of the media fraternity in the city, the hockey veteran never failed to amaze them with his sharp memory. He used to share numerous moments of his life — starting from his young school days to the journey of grabbing three Olympics gold medals. The cheery legend never did part with two things until the end of his garlanded journey — the hockey stick and his love for the nation. The other fascinating thing about him that everyone was fond of was his admiration for his team. “I am nothing without my team and country,” Balbir used to reiterate frequently. His love for the country largely descended from his father (Dalip Singh Dosanjh), who was a freedom fighter.On an odd day, he would not hesitate in criticising the authorities for losing the memorabilia he had handed over to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in 1985 for a museum.
That included his captain’s blazer from the Melbourne Olympics, 36 medals and over 100 rare photographs.
Striker who wanted to be a goalkeeper
“I wanted to be a goalkeeper. But as destiny wanted, I got an amazing coach who forced me to play as a striker. I was poor in studies and my father decided to send me to Lahore. But the problem with my academics remained,” he had revealed during an interview. Perhaps, he was the only hockey player whose well-wishers approached the then Indian High Commissioner in London, VK Krishna Menon, after he was not selected for the 39-member probables squad during the 1950s.
“I’ve personally lost a good friend, the gem of Indian sports,” said legendary sprinter Milkha Singh after hearing of the death of three-time Olympics gold medallist Balbir Singh Sr this morning.
“It’s very sad. We joined the Punjab Sports Department together in 1960 and even my wife (Nirmal Milkha Singh) had worked under him,” Milkha said. “As far as my memory goes, we were part of the Indian contingent during the 1956 Melbourne, 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. Apart from these major events, we were part of the Indian contingent in many Asian Games and other international tournaments.”
However, Balbir was not part of the team in the 1960 and 1964 Olympics, though he may have travelled there on his own.
“Balbir was one of the finest hockey players of India after Major Dhyan Chand,” Milkha said. “His contribution cannot be forgotten in decades to come. It’s so disheartening that his death came when the world is under a lockdown. He deserved a huge farewell. I just wish everyone in this country pays a tribute to the departed soul.”
Balbir Singh Sr and Milkha Singh, two of the greatest sportspersons of India, enjoyed such popularity during their heyday that it is said they did not require an appointment to meet Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Indian Prime Minister. “It is true. We could meet him at a short notice. He loved hockey,” Balbir had once said.
Hockey Chandigarh pays tributes to the legend
Meanwhile, Hockey Chandigarh secretary Anil Vohra expressed grief on the death of the hockey icon. “He was the lifetime president of Rock Rovers Hockey Club, one of the oldest clubs in Indian hockey. He will remain in our memories and his achievements will be an example to live up to for the coming generations,” said Vohra.
The UT Sports Department and the Panjab University Sports Department also paid tributes to Balbir Singh Sr