Balbir Sr: Stalwart player, free India’s first sports icon

Indervir Grewal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Balbir Singh Dosanjh was a “simple” man. But that is not to say that it is simple to define the man and his life.

Balbir Singh played the game at the biggest of stages, but he never stopped going to the local hockey ground in the morning to watch children train.

He was honoured with the most prestigious of awards around the world, but he rarely missed a chance to be a guest and a patron at a local tournament. He was one of the greatest names to have managed the Indian team, but he always showed great respect to his players, be it the stars or the newcomers.

Balbir Singh played during the best era of Indian hockey, but he never tried to belittle the efforts of the future teams that failed to return with a medal. He achieved more than most people could even dream of, but he never stopped hoping to one day see Indian hockey return to the top of the world and win an Olympics gold.

Peerless

“It is not possible for us to measure his life and his achievements,” said Olympics and World Cup medallist Harcharan Singh.

“He was a pioneer who put Indian hockey on the world map. Obviously, there had been great players earlier as well, but he was probably post-independence India’s first sports icon,” added Harcharan Singh, who was part of the 1975 World Cup-winning team. Balbir Singh started his hockey career in unified Punjab, where competition was so tough that it was supposedly easier to get into the national team than the Punjab team. A centre forward with a knack for scoring goals, Balbir Senior, as he was fondly known, rose through the ranks to make his international debut in 1947.

Golden hat-trick

He made his Olympics debut at the 1948 London Olympics, which he later recalled on many occasions as a special experience. Balbir Senior scored two goals in the final against Great Britain, helping India win its first gold as an independent nation. “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 later recalled.

Four years later at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, Balbir Senior was no longer new to the Olympics. But his hunger for success was just as great. And he was probably at his peak. He scored three goals in India’s 3-1 semifinal win over Great Britain before hammering five past the Netherlands in the 6-1 win in the final. His record for most goals by an individual in an Olympics final still stands.

In the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Balbir Senior captained India to a “golden hat-trick” for the second time in history. Except this time, it was an independent India. Balbir Senior had secured his legacy. “He was a pillar of Indian hockey,” said Olympics and World Cup medallist Ajit Pal Singh. “In terms of medals and achievements, he has the same sort of records as Dada Dhyan Chand.”

But it was not just about records. Balbir Senior inspired generations of future hockey champions. “When we started playing as children, people such as Udham Singh, Balbir Singh and others were our role models. I didn’t see Balbir Senior play, but everyone knew who he was,” added Ajit Pal Singh, who captained the 1975 World Cup team.

Father figure

But hockey was not about fame for Balbir Senior. Despite his international retirement in the late 1950s, he kept playing for Punjab Police at the national level. And for a long time, he was attached with the national team set-up. He was the manager of the Indian teams that won the silver at the 1970 Asian Games, bronze at the 1971 World Cup and gold at the 1975 World Cup. It is India’s only World Cup gold. “He was a father figure for everyone,” said Harcharan Singh. “He was a simple, straightforward person. There was no hypocrisy, no politics. He behaved the same way with the junior and senior players.”

Ashok Diwan, another member of the 1975 team, said he would always be indebted to Balbir Senior for giving him the big break. “It was because of him that I played in the World Cup. I was one of the younger players, but he believed in me. He was a thorough gentleman. He was such a big name but so humble,” Diwan said.

“I remember before the final against Pakistan at the 1970 Asian Games, he told me: ‘You alone are enough to defeat Pakistan’. To hear that from a player of his stature filled you with confidence,” said Harcharan.

Balbir Senior then got into administration as the Sports Director of Punjab. “He was a multi-faceted man. His demise is an irreparable loss,” said Ajit Pal Singh.

Balbir Singh Dosanjh was an icon, a father figure, a gentleman, a pioneer, a pillar. He was a player of rare talents and the manager of great teams. He was a motivator, a fighter and an eternal optimist. And hockey was his life.