When India lost a sporting icon
It has been a year since India lost one of its greatest sporting icons -- Balbir Singh Sr., who died on May 25, 2020. He left behind a glittering legacy.
Bringing down the curtain
Aged 95, Balbir Singh Sr. died in Chandigarh on this day last year (May 25, 2020) after fighting a pulmonary illness for two years.
A fighter till the end
The three-time Olympic gold medallist fought like a true champion, at the age of 95, for over 15 days in a hospital before breathing his last on May 25 2020.
A captain, a leader and a lot more
The first sports person to be awarded the Padma Shri in 1957, Balbir Singh Sr. captained India at the 1956 Olympic Games and was also the manager of the 1975 World Cup-winning Indian hockey team.
Independent India's first Olympic medal
India thrashed Great Britain 4-0 on August 12, 1948 in the Men's hockey final to win their first Olympic medal, a gold, as an independent nation. Balbir Singh Sr. along with skipper Kishan Lal then became the talk of the town as their performances led India to a memorable win.
The twin strike
In the 1948 final against Great Britain, Balbir Singh Sr. scored twice to secure India's win against their former rulers. In the photo the legend can be seen celebrating after scoring against Great Britain.
Leading India to third consecutive Olympic gold
Going for a hat-trick of golds as an independent country at the Olympics after the success of London (1948) and Helsinki (1952), skipper Balbir Singh Sr. marshalled his troops from the front in 1956 as India completed the hat-trick in Melbourne. In this photo Balbir Singh Sr. can be seen along with his team, receiving the gold medal on the podium.
Guinness World Record holder
In the 1952 Olympic final against Holland, Balbir Singh Sr., the then India vice captain, scored 5 goals as his team beat the opposition 6-1. The number of goals scored by the maestro became a Guinness World Record -- which stands till date -- for the most number of goals scored by an individual player in an Olympics men's hockey final.
Padma Shri honour in 1957
The hockey magician became the first ever Padma Shri recipient in the sports category in 1957. In this picture, the then President of India Dr. Rajendra Prasad can be seen conferring the Padma Shri to the legend of Indian hockey.
Lifetime Achievement Award
In March 2015, Balbir Singh was conferred with the Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award at the Hockey India Awards.
The Icon
In one of his rare public appearances, which was also one of his last, Balbir Singh Sr. was honoured as the Icon of the Century at the last edition of the Times of India Sports Awards in March 2020.
A true hockey fan...always
A die hard fan of the sport and especially of the Indian hockey team, Balbir Singh followed the exploits of the Indian team regularly. This photo of his was taken during India's FIH Pro League 2020 encounter against the Netherlands where India registered a win.
Love for the motherland
In 2019, Balbir Singh senior was in hospital for 108 days. Even then he had India in his heart. In this picture, Balbir Singh Sr can be seen looking at the tri color, hanging from his window in his hospital room in Chandigarh.
A true legend
Balbir Singh always had the love and support of his fans, colleagues, students, family and admirers in the sporting circle. He was respected and admired by people across fields. In this photo, the legend can be seen sharing a laugh with Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar.
Family man
Even in his final days, Balbir Singh Sr. continued to be a family man, spending time with his family including the younger lot.
Start a Conversation
Post comment