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Hockey legend and India’s oldest surviving Olympic medalist Balbir Singh Sr breathed his last at a Mohali hospital on Monday (May 25) morning.
He was member of the 1948 London Olympics gold medal-winning Indian hockey team. Singh scored six goals, including a hat-trick, against Argentina in India’s 9-1 win in the second group game during the Olympics. He was not included in the rest of the group matches and also didn’t play in the quarterfinal against Spain and semifinal against the Netherlands. However, he was destined to shine in the final. Balbir Singh Sr scored India’s first goal in the seventh minute against Great Britain in front of the 25,000 crowd at Wembley Stadium before scoring the second in the 15th minute. India won the 1948 London Olympics men’s hockey gold 4-0, and it was the first time post independence that the Indian flag was unfurled in a sporting event in England.
Balbir Singh Sr’s record for most goals scored by an individual in the men’s hockey final at the Olympics still remains unbeaten. He was also the vice-captain of the victorious side in 1952 Olympics and skipper of the champion team during 1956 Olympics.
Born on December 31, 1923 to Sardar Dalip Singh and Karam Kaur at his maternal village of Haripur Khalsa, Balbir Singh Dosanjh was called Senior to differentiate him from the other five Balbirs who played for India in later years
