Indervir Grewal

The world of Indian hockey is a world of legends. Starved of success and glory for decades, the Indian hockey fan cannot help looking back into the past to get that feeling of pride and joy. In Balbir Singh Senior, India lost one of its biggest sports legends. But even in death, Balbir Senior reminded the country of Indian hockey’s proudest era.

The recent retelling of Balbir Senior’s hat-trick of Olympics gold medals took the Indian fan back to that time when the country was unbeatable in hockey.

Eight-time Olympics gold medallists, India last won the title in 1980. Seven of the gold medals came from 1928 to 1964, including six in a row.

A star rises

If it was Dhyan Chand who was the epitome of India’s dominance before Independence, Balbir Senior became the face of Independent India’s initial successes at the world stage. In the 1948 London Olympics, Balbir Senior scored two goals in the final against Great Britain to help India win its first gold as an independent nation.

At the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Balbir Senior was probably at his peak. He scored three goals in India’s 3-1 semifinal win over Great Britain, before scoring a record five goals against the Netherlands in the 6-1 win in the final. He still holds the record for most goals by an individual in an Olympics final.

Four years later in Melbourne, Balbir Senior captained India to a “golden hat-trick”. It was not India’s first hat-trick of titles. India had won three straight titles from 1928 to 1936. And for his role in India’s first Olympics success, Dhyan Chand is considered the father of Indian hockey.

But with the 1956 triumph, Balbir Senior secured his legacy as independent India’s original golden boy. His goal-scoring statistics still leave everyone in awe. If it was Dhyan Chand’s wizardry — it is said that such was his control over the ball that the opponents suspected that he had a magnet in his stick — that captured the nation’s imagination, Balbir Senior became famous for his goal-scoring ability. It is said when Balbir Senior got the ball in the striking circle, there was only one outcome.

The many greats

However, Balbir Senior was not the only star of his time. KD Singh ‘Babu’ was considered as the next Dhyan Chand. It is said KD Singh could dribble past whole defences and make the most accurate of passes, all while being in full stride. KD Singh, who won gold at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics, is as great a legend as Balbir Senior.

These players belonged to an era that seems so distant now that it is not possible to imagine them just as players. Whenever there is talk about India’s former greats, it is accompanied by a sense of idolisation.

Very few, if any, are alive who would have seen Dhyan Chand or Balbir Senior or KD Singh play at their peak. Fewer would remember what they saw. What is remembered is their statistics. All three of them were multiple Olympics medal winners and also prolific goal-scorers. That was one of the reasons why they stood out from the rest.

But it is not that they were the only multiple medallists. Udham Singh (gold in 1952, 1956, 1964 and silver in 1960) and Leslie Claudius (gold in 1948-56 and silver in 1960) were four-time Olympics medallists. They are the only two Indian players to win four Olympics medals.

In fact, Udham Singh was also considered a great goal-scorer. Claudius, captain in 1960, was one of the best mid-fielders. It is said that he considered himself to be a utility player, a jack of all trades. Incidentally, the same is said of Udham Singh. Then there was Randhir Singh Gentle who also won the triple in 1948, 1952 and 1956. Gentle even captained the team when Balbir Senior was absent due to an injury during the 1956 Games. But he will be remembered most as the scorer of the winning goal against Pakistan in the 1956 final. Among others who won two gold after Independence were Keshav Dutt (1948, 1952) Haripal Kaushik (1956, 1964) Grahanandan Singh (1948, 1952).

None of these players, though, could capture the imagination of the Indian fan as Dhyan Chand or Balbir Senior or KD Singh did. But even if many of the names have been forgotten over time, most of these great names played their part in inspiring generations of hockey players.

Gamechangers

The modern game of hockey was brought to India by the British. Initially hockey became popular in major cities such as Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Lahore, and around Army cantonments. “It was a very popular game in the British army because of its team-building characteristics,” said Colonel (retd.) Balbir Singh, part of the team that won bronze at the 1968 Olympics.

“Initially, the army played a big role in spreading the game to the villages. Hockey also became a way to recruit people into the army,” added Col Balbir, one of the many Balbirs who followed Balbir Senior into the Indian team.

When India won their first Olympics gold medal in 1928, the sport caught the nation’s fancy. Two more gold medals in a row gave the people a reason to feel proud and great. The hat-trick made Dhyan Chand a household name. But it was probably the next three consecutive gold medals that helped ingrain the game into the country’s DNA.

Nation’s pride

The time after Independence and Partition was filled with uncertainty. But when the Indian team won three gold medals from 1948 to 1956, it became a symbol of Independent India’s bright future. “As our National Anthem was being played and the Tricolour was going up, I felt that I too was flying with the flag,” Balbir Senior had later recalled of the 1948 victory.

By the time India won their seventh gold medal in 1964, hockey was “running in the blood” of the nation. And India had new idols like Charanjit Singh and Prithipal Singh, who both won gold in 1964. Prithipal, who also won silver in 1960 and bronze in 1968, became the most popular face of the new lot. Prithipal was known as the ‘king of the short corner’, and it is said that such was the power in his shot that facing him in a penalty corner situation was like facing death.

To the current generation of players and fans, though, Dhyan Chand, Balbir Senior, KD Singh, Leslie Claudius or Udham Singh are probably just names that represent great achievements and unbelievable records. Hockey has travelled so far that it would be impossible for the current generation to even relate to the game or the achievements of the golden era. However, the role those hockey greats played in the journey of game in India — building up the confidence of a nation that had just emerged from the shackles of colonialism — can never be forgotten.

Hall of Fame

Udham Singh and Leslie Claudius share the record for most medals in hockey in the Olympics — 3 gold and 1 silver each. Balbir Singh Sr, R Francis and Randhir Singh Gentle won 3 gold each, a feat Dhyan Chand and Richard Allen had achieved before Independence. Haripal Kaushik, Keshav Dutt and KD Singh were among players who won 2 gold each. Prithipal Singh won 3 medals, one of each hue

Learning from the legends

“Hockey was so popular in some states that it felt like the sport ran in people’s blood,” said RS Bal, who played for the Indian Navy for almost 10 years in the 1960s and 1970s.

“As children we did not get to see the India players, but we heard and read about the gold medals and about the greats such as Balbir Senior, Leslie Claudius, Prithipal Singh. Even though we never saw them play, they were inspirational to so many of us,” added Bal, who grew up in a small village in Amritsar district.

Then there were those who got to meet their idols. Ajit Pal Singh, captain of the 1975 World Cup-winning team, remembers watching Udham Singh train at the village grounds in Sansarpur. “To watch an Olympics gold medallist train was a big source of inspiration,” said Ajit Pal Singh.

And for people like Ajit Pal Singh and Col Balbir, observing the greats was the primary source of learning. “There was no specialised coaching, no academies,” Col Balbir said. “Everyone came to play in the village grounds. The retired players used to teach us. We used to learn by watching the senior players train, and usually there was an India player visiting on leave,” he added.

Srinagar, May 31

An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Sunday.

A cordon-and-search operation was launched in Poshkreeri area of Anantnag district in south Kashmir during the night following information about the presence of militants, a police official said.

He said as the forces were conducting searches, the militants fired upon them.

The forces retaliated, triggering a gunfight, he added.

The exchange of firing is going on and further details are awaited, the official said. PTI

Yavatmal (Maharashtra), May 31

Since the past over two months of lockdown, thousands of bus, trucks, tempos and other vehicles passing near Karanji on National Highway-7 make it a point to halt at a ramshackle tin shed with plastic sheets, beside the dry and dusty road.

This is the only spot on a stretch of around 450 kms where a decent meal is available – free of cost – courtesy the services of Baba Karnail Singh Khaira, who is revered as Khaira Babaji in the region.

“This is a remote, tribal region. Behind us for nearly 150-km, and ahead for nearly 300 km, there’s not a single dhaba or restaurant… So most people prefer to halt at ‘Guru ka langar’ and avail of our round-the-clock services,” Khaira Babaji told IANS.

A simple ochre-colour board indicates ‘Gurudwara Sahib’, and ‘Dera Kar Seva Gurudwara Langar Sahib’, this tiny ‘Guru ka langar’ is linked with the historic Gurudwara Bhagod Sahib, Wai, located around 11 km away in a forested area, visited mostly by Sikhs.

It was the spot where the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh had stayed in 1705, while en route to Nanded, some 250 km away, where he was assassinated on October 7, 1708. Nearly 125 years later, it bloomed as the world-famous ‘Gurudwara Takht Hazuri Sahib Sachkhand’ (Nanded), one of the Five Takhts in Sikhism.

“Since the Gurudwara Bhagod Sahib is away from the main road, in 1988 (32 years ago), this free ‘langar’ came up here as its branch. I was assigned to manage it with the blessings and guidance of Nanded Gurudwara Sahib’s Baba Narinder Singhji and Baba Balwinder Singhji,” said Khaira Baba.

A regular ‘langar’ for years, it was only from the March 24 lockdown that it became a saviour for thousands of hungry people including stranded migrants, travellers, truckers and villagers.

“We had hordes of people coming daily and we kept continuously cooking food for them… We welcomed all with smiles and folded hands, irrespective of caste, religion… My regular team of 17 ‘sevaks’, including 11 cooks and other helpers were overworked, but ensured a non-stop supply of fresh, piping hot food,” Khaira Baba said.

Luckily, his youngest brother Baba Gurbax Singh Khaira, 67, settled in New Jersey, USA, has pitched in with huge donations from the local (USA) Sikh community and Pandharkawada philanthropists like Pawanjit Kapoor, Salim Jetani or Kishore Tiwari, to keep the ‘Guru ka langar’ fires burning during lockdown.

The services include breakfast of tea with hard bread or biscuits, and all meals are plain rice with tuvar dal, aloo-vadi and aloo vanga, and providing soap and borewell water for bathing to the weary visitors.

Based on the number of disposable plates in which the crowds were served, Khaira Baba was himself astounded to learn that more than 15 lakh people were fed in the past 10 weeks, plus more than five lakhs took away parcels from the ‘langar’, and still counting.

Another unique aspect here is feeding chapati-jaggery daily to around 250 dogs, plus cats, stray cattle and other mute animals in the vicinity grappling with a hunger crisis in lockdown.

“I was born in Meerut (Uttar Pradesh), but left home at the age of 11 to answer ‘a mysterious call for service to humankind’, as a kid, I helped build a bridge on River Godavari here…,” he said, offering a peek into his background.

Later, he lived in the Middle-East countries for around four years and spent another five years in Germany and other European countries organising funds for Gurudwara ‘langars’ and other services.

“Though illiterate, I speak fluent English, Hindi, Punjabi, Arabic, Dutch and German, besides of course, Marathi,” Khaira Baba smiled with a tinge of pride.

When asked what motivates him to sit in the blazing sun with barely anybody to even talk with, Khaira Baba points at the sky and says: “It’s the ‘marzi’ (will) of Wahe Guru… We are only his instruments in the service to humanity. See, three vehicles are donated by devotees to this ‘langar’…but my only belongings on earth are the three sets of clothes, I live and sleep here, eat the same food served to the people,” he said softly.

The ‘Guru ka langar’ has kept two donation boxes outside in which people offer as per their desire and capacity, but it is never counted and the money is again ploughed back into the ‘langar’.

Saturday was a big day when Khaira Baba personally served ‘sherbet’ to all the people as part of the month-long ceremonies to mark the 414th anniversary of martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, the Fifth Sikh Guru, on May 30, 1606.

Cape Canaveral, Florida (US), May 30

SpaceX, the private rocket company of billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, launched two Americans into orbit from Florida on Saturday in a landmark mission marking the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from US soil in nine years.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at 3:22 p.m. EDT (1922 GMT), launching Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a 19-hour ride aboard the company’s newly designed Crew Dragon capsule bound for the International Space Station.

Just before liftoff, Hurley said, “SpaceX, we’re go for launch. Let’s light this candle,” paraphrasing the famous comment uttered on the launch pad in 1961 by Alan Shepard, the first American flown into space.

Minutes after launch, the first-stage booster rocket of the Falcon 9 separated from the upper second-stage rocket and flew itself back to Earth to descend safely onto a landing platform floating in the Atlantic.

High above the Earth, the Crew Dragon jettisoned moments later from the second-stage rocket, sending the capsule on its way to the space station.

The exhilarating spectacle of the rocket soaring flawlessly into the heavens came as a welcome triumph for a nation gripped by racially-charged civil unrest as well as ongoing fear and economic upheaval from the coronavirus pandemic.

The Falcon 9 took off from the same launch pad used by NASA’s final space shuttle flight, piloted by Hurley, in 2011.

Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.

“It’s incredible, the power, the technology,” said U.S.

President Donald Trump, who was at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida for the launch. “That was a beautiful sight to see.”

The mission’s first launch attempt on Wednesday was called off with less than 17 minutes remaining on the countdown clock.

Weather again threatened Saturday’s launch, but cleared in time to proceed with the mission.

SPACEFLIGHT MILESTONES

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said resuming launches of American astronauts on American-made rockets from U.S. soil is the space agency’s top priority.

“I’m breathing a sigh of relief, but I will also tell you I’m not gonna celebrate until Bob and Doug are home safely.” Bridenstine said.

For Musk, the launch represents another milestone for the reusable rockets his company pioneered to make spaceflight less costly and more frequent. And it marks the first time commercially developed space vehicles – owned and operated by a private entity rather than NASA – have carried Americans into orbit.

The last time NASA launched astronauts into space aboard a brand new vehicle was 40 years ago at the start of the space shuttle program.

Musk, the South African-born high-tech entrepreneur who made his fortune in Silicon Valley, is also chief executive of electric carmaker and battery manufacturer Tesla Inc.

He founded Hawthorne, California-based SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, in 2002.

Hurley, 53, and Behnken, 49, NASA employees under contract to fly with SpaceX, are expected to remain at the space station for several weeks, assisting a short-handed crew aboard the orbital laboratory.

Boeing Co, producing its own launch system in competition with SpaceX, is expected to fly its CST-100 Starliner vehicle with astronauts aboard for the first time next year. NASA has awarded nearly $8 billion combined to SpaceX and Boeing for development of their rival rockets.

Trump also hailed the launch as a major advance toward the goal of eventually sending humans to Mars.

He was joined at the viewing by Musk, as well as Vice President Mike Pence, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz and Senator Rick Scott.

Earlier on Saturday, the crew bid goodbye to their families.

Prior to climbing into a specially designed Tesla automobile for the ride to the launch site, Behnken told his young son, “Be good for mom. Make her life easy.”

During the drive, Behnken and Hurley passed former astronaut Garrett Reisman who held a sign saying, “Take me with you.”