Chandigarh, August 5
Hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr lived his life for the game and would have jumped in pleasure had he been alive to witness the nationwide group’s historic bronze-medal successful feat at Tokyo Olympics, his daughter Sushbir Kaur mentioned on Thursday.
The Indian males’s hockey group scripted historical past at Tokyo, claiming an Olympic medal after 41 years, following an exciting 5-4 win over a plucky Germany within the bronze medal play-off.
“He would have been very glad. He would have jumped in pleasure,” Kaur advised PTI.
“When our household was watching the match on TV, I rotated and regarded on the chair the place he used to take a seat with us and watch each match involving Indian hockey group.
“He used to keenly watch the sport and revel in thrilling moments. He lived his life for hockey. For him, the nationwide flag and tricolour have been his life.” Balbir Singh Sr, one in all India’s best hockey gamers who received three Olympic gold medals in a stellar profession, had handed away right here in Could 2020 on the age of 96 after battling a number of well being points.
Whereas the Indian males’s group claimed a bronze, its girls counterparts are additionally one step away from returning with a medal as Rani Rampal and co faces Nice Britain within the bronze medal play-off on Friday.
Kaur mentioned: “It is a new chapter for Indian hockey. As a result of this may encourage budding expertise. Had our efficiency not been good on this Olympics, it will have dealt a blow.
“If hockey will get extra widespread, it’s going to appeal to extra sponsors, which is able to additional assist the sport,” she added.
The Indians confirmed nice willpower as they made a memorable comeback, preventing again from a two-goal deficit to show the match of their favour after being 1-3 down.
“The nice factor on this group is that it has an excellent preventing spirit and the comeback spirit is there and it doesn’t get bowed down beneath stress,” Kaur mentioned.
She recalled many interactions which her father had with the Indian hockey group members, together with the junior expertise infrequently.
“Every time he used to fulfill budding expertise, he used to inform them to work laborious and win video games, telling them that it’ll deliver them honour. Dream large, goal excessive, work laborious and suppose constructive, he used to say. He additionally used to inform them that the spot on the prime is at all times vacant,” she mentioned.
Within the match, Simranjeet Singh (seventeenth, thirty fourth minutes), Hardik Singh (twenty seventh), Harmanpreet Singh (twenty ninth) and Rupinder Pal Singh (thirty first) have been the purpose getters for India.
Kaur recalled that in a hockey occasion a few years in the past, Balbir Singh Sr had met Harmanpreet and had praised him for his expertise.
“At the moment, Harmanpreet used to put on No 1 jersey and we advised him jokingly that Balbir ji used to put on No 13 jersey and look he created data. Now, even Harmanpreet wears quantity 13 jersey.
“I have to say that each one gamers within the present group are excellent and so they have shiny future forward,” she mentioned.
One of many nation’s most completed athletes, Balbir Singh Sr was the one Indian amongst 16 legends chosen by the Worldwide Olympic Committee throughout fashionable Olympic historical past.
His world report for many objectives scored by a person within the males’s hockey last of the Olympics nonetheless stays unbeaten.
He had scored 5 objectives in India’s 6-1 victory over the Netherlands within the gold medal match of the 1952 Helsinki Video games. He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1957.
That was the primary time an athlete was conferred the celebrated civilian honour.
Singh’s three Olympic gold medals got here in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) as vice-captain, and Melbourne (1956) as captain.
He was additionally the supervisor of India’s solely World Cup-winning facet in 1975. PTI
Chandigarh, August 5
Hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr lived his life for the game and would have jumped in pleasure had he been alive to witness the nationwide group’s historic bronze-medal successful feat at Tokyo Olympics, his daughter Sushbir Kaur mentioned on Thursday.
The Indian males’s hockey group scripted historical past at Tokyo, claiming an Olympic medal after 41 years, following an exciting 5-4 win over a plucky Germany within the bronze medal play-off.
“He would have been very glad. He would have jumped in pleasure,” Kaur advised PTI.
“When our household was watching the match on TV, I rotated and regarded on the chair the place he used to take a seat with us and watch each match involving Indian hockey group.
“He used to keenly watch the sport and revel in thrilling moments. He lived his life for hockey. For him, the nationwide flag and tricolour have been his life.” Balbir Singh Sr, one in all India’s best hockey gamers who received three Olympic gold medals in a stellar profession, had handed away right here in Could 2020 on the age of 96 after battling a number of well being points.
Whereas the Indian males’s group claimed a bronze, its girls counterparts are additionally one step away from returning with a medal as Rani Rampal and co faces Nice Britain within the bronze medal play-off on Friday.
Kaur mentioned: “It is a new chapter for Indian hockey. As a result of this may encourage budding expertise. Had our efficiency not been good on this Olympics, it will have dealt a blow.
“If hockey will get extra widespread, it’s going to appeal to extra sponsors, which is able to additional assist the sport,” she added.
The Indians confirmed nice willpower as they made a memorable comeback, preventing again from a two-goal deficit to show the match of their favour after being 1-3 down.
“The nice factor on this group is that it has an excellent preventing spirit and the comeback spirit is there and it doesn’t get bowed down beneath stress,” Kaur mentioned.
She recalled many interactions which her father had with the Indian hockey group members, together with the junior expertise infrequently.
“Every time he used to fulfill budding expertise, he used to inform them to work laborious and win video games, telling them that it’ll deliver them honour. Dream large, goal excessive, work laborious and suppose constructive, he used to say. He additionally used to inform them that the spot on the prime is at all times vacant,” she mentioned.
Within the match, Simranjeet Singh (seventeenth, thirty fourth minutes), Hardik Singh (twenty seventh), Harmanpreet Singh (twenty ninth) and Rupinder Pal Singh (thirty first) have been the purpose getters for India.
Kaur recalled that in a hockey occasion a few years in the past, Balbir Singh Sr had met Harmanpreet and had praised him for his expertise.
“At the moment, Harmanpreet used to put on No 1 jersey and we advised him jokingly that Balbir ji used to put on No 13 jersey and look he created data. Now, even Harmanpreet wears quantity 13 jersey.
“I have to say that each one gamers within the present group are excellent and so they have shiny future forward,” she mentioned.
One of many nation’s most completed athletes, Balbir Singh Sr was the one Indian amongst 16 legends chosen by the Worldwide Olympic Committee throughout fashionable Olympic historical past.
His world report for many objectives scored by a person within the males’s hockey last of the Olympics nonetheless stays unbeaten.
He had scored 5 objectives in India’s 6-1 victory over the Netherlands within the gold medal match of the 1952 Helsinki Video games. He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1957.
That was the primary time an athlete was conferred the celebrated civilian honour.
Singh’s three Olympic gold medals got here in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) as vice-captain, and Melbourne (1956) as captain.
He was additionally the supervisor of India’s solely World Cup-winning facet in 1975. PTI
