CHANDIGARH: It seemed anything he touched would turn into gold. Right from the three Olympic gold medals to being the coach and manager of the 1975 World Cup-winning
Indian hockey team
, but dreams do come with a price.
After retiring as an active player,
Balbir Singh Sr
immediately began his coaching career in the early 1970s, helping the Indian team to a bronze medal in the 1971 World Cup. Determined to change the color of the medal, Balbir meant business during the preparatory camp for the 1975 World Cup.
During the camp, Singh's father passed away and his wife Sushil was in hospital for around a month following a brain hemorrhage. The only day he missed the camp was when his father was cremated.
"The youngsters would always look up to me, how could I leave them unguarded in a camp,
hockey
was always the first priority for me," Balbir had said.
In an earlier interaction, Balbir had praised the dedication of the young players, coming from the remote corners of the country to become household names in the field of hockey.
"There are many youngsters, these days, coming from remote villages, my only advice for them would be to continue with the hard work, and Indian hockey will be back to its glorious days," he had said.
One of the most decorated players in independent India, Balbir took over the mantle from the wizard
Dhyan Chand
. Widely regarded as the world's greatest ever centre-forward, Balbir was arguably the best in the business during his prime. He scored seven goals across two Olympic finals in 1948 and 1952 before being promoted to captain the side in the 1956 edition.
Singh was the first sportsperson to be crowned with the Padma Shri award in 1957. He was also a member of the Indian hockey team that won the silver medal at the
1958 Asian Games
.
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