3-time Olympic Gold Medallist, Hockey Legend Balbir Singh Sr. passes Away! - Sports fraternity pays Tribute

Balbir Singh, a hockey sensation in Independent India died at the age of 95, on May 25. While the sports fraternity has paid tribute, justice remains unserved, as he was betrayed brutally in the past.

“To give you an idea, the Indian team played 16 matches in Singapore in 1954. They scored 121 goals, out of which he scored 83. In the Australia-New Zealand tournament the following year, he scored 141 out of 203 in just 37 matches,” Professor SK Gupta, a sports historian briefed when asked about Balbir Singh’s. He also added that none of his achievements ensured a place in the squad, as he was often declined a position to play. In 1960 although Balbir was in his best condition to play, he was appointed in the selection committee.

In an interview that was conducted in 2017, Balbir recollected that he had taken up the responsibility of coaching the Olympic squad in 1964 and had brought the team to a great form. However, one night before flying to Tokyo for the Olympics, he was instructed to stay back in India and was replaced. The squad went on to win the Olympics but his contribution was not acknowledged.

Despite being humiliated, he had taken up the request to coach the Indian team in 1975, when India won the World Cup.

He was subjected to greater injustice in 1985 when he was asked to hand over all his medals for a sports museum, by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). However in 2008 he came to know that no such sports museum was set up anywhere in the country. He had lost plenty of rare photographs and 36 medals and the 1956 Captain’s Blazer. “It felt like a part of me had died when I found out,” he had said.

After many years, in 2012 the SAI had responded saying that they did not possess any of his belongings. They promised to file an FIR but they filed a missing article report which didn’t warrant a investigation.

Looking back Balbir had admitted to have never been able to mask the disappointment, even though he was filled with gratitude.