The period between 1928 and 1956 is widely regarded as the golden time for Indian hockey, where our men won six consecutive gold medals at the Olympics. Without any doubt, Dhyan Chand and Balbir Singh Sr. are the two most talked about legends, from those years. IN fact, the latter was part of the team that won independent India’s first gold in the 1948 London Olympics.
Funny Tale Behind His Name Balbir Singh ‘Sr’
In those times, in the 50s and 60s, when a major chunk of Indian hockey players came from Punjab, a lot of them seemed to be named Balbir Singh. Surprisingly enough, at the 1968 Olympics, where the Indian team won a bronze medal, three of our players went by this name. This is when ‘Sr’ sobriquet was added to his name.
Major Achievements of Balbir Singh Sr
1948 Olympics: Gold
1952 Olympics: Gold
1956 Olympics: Gold
1958 Asian Games: Silver
As Coach
1971 World Cup: Bronze
1975 World Cup: Gold
