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Introduction

Balbir Singh Dosanjh who was born on 10th day of October month in the year 1924, widely known as Balbir Singh Senior has been a past Indian Hockey player who has exemplified India in 3 Olympic Games receiving his team a Gold Medal win at all of the 3 matches and he has also remained the Coach of the Indian Hockey team for small period of time. He is actually named Balbir Singh Senior so as to recognize him from the other 5 other Indian Hockey players in the team with the same name.

He on the other hand, was also the first Balbir Singh in the Indian Hockey team, hence stated to as Senior. Balbir Singh's Olympic record for maximum number of goals notched by an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final match is still unbeaten. Balbir Singh made this record when he notched five goals in India's 6-1 triumph over the Netherlands in the gold medal final game of the year 1952 Olympic Games.

Early Life

Later, he moved to Punjab University and he was noted by Sir John Bennet, the Inspector General of Punjab during th British days while playing in a College match in the year 1945. Bennet made him to play for the Punjab Police team, but Balbir was unwilling as his father had been tortured and punished by the British Police. Disinclining to play for the Police team, he escaped away to Delhi but was held back by the Punjab Police as Bennet didn't want to miss such a good player.

Balbir Singh was born on the 19th day of October month in the year 1924 at Haripur Khalsa, Punjab, India and did his education at Dev Samag High School Moga, D M College and Khalsa Colege in Amritsar, Punjab, India. Balbir Singh started playing Hockey game at a very early age, and was extremely encouraged by the Berlin Olympics of the year 1936 Gold Medal winner of the Indian Hockey team. He played for the Khalsa College Hockey team, and the Coach Harbail Singh trained him with the fundamentals of the game.

Family

He was detained and taken back to play for the Punjab Police, and this is time Balbir rose to the altitudes of success and splendor that people even remember him today. He represented the India Hockey team of Undivided Punjab led by Col. AIS Dara which won the National Hockey match in the year 1947.

International Career

His fatherly ancestors are Dosanjh from the small Punjabi village of Pawadra and motherly ancestors are Dhanoa from the small village of Haripur Khalsa. Both of these villages are in Tehsil Phillaur in District Jalandher in the state Punjab. Balbir's father named Dalip Singh Dosanjh was a renowned freedom fighter. Balbir Singh's wife Sushil Singh was from the Model Town, Lahore.

Post Year 1956

They both got married in the year 1946. They have a beautiful daughter Sushbir Singh and are gifted with three sons Kanwalbir Singh, Karanbir Singh, Gurbir Singh and are well settled in Vancouver, Canada.In Walk the Talk tv program that was telecasted on NDTV channel on 02nd day of the July month in the year 2006 he publicized to Shekha Gupta, Host of the show, that his three daughter-in-laws are citizens from Singapore, China, and Ukraine respectively.

Captaincy

Balbir Singh made his very first Olympics entrance in the London Olympics of the year 1948 in the second match where they played against Argentina. India won the match by an amazing 9-1 score, and Balbir had notched 6 out of them, containing a hat-trick. In the closing match he played against the Britain and India beat the rival by 4-0 score, and Balbir had notched 2 goals in the match. At the Helsinki Olympics in the year 1952, Balbir was made the Vice-Captain of the Indian Hockey team, with K.D.

Awards and Achievements

Singh Babu being made the Captain. In the Semi-Final match against the Britain team, Balbir had scored all the 3 goals that was scored by the Indian Hockey team, and the team won by 3-1 score. In the last match against the Holland team, the Indian Hockey team won by 6-1 score to lift the Gold Medal yet again, and Balbir had added 5 goals out of them, containing a hat-trick. At the Helsinki Olympics, he had notched overall score of 9 goals.

In the year 1957 Balbir Singh became the very first receiver of the Padma Shri award in the category of sports. He was also a participant of the Indian hockey team that has won the silver medal at Asian Games in the year 1958 and in the year 1962. He trained Indian hockey team in the year 1971 for the World Cup hockey, where India received the bronze medal. In the year 1975 he was the manager of the triumphant Indian World Cup hockey team.

Balbir Singh Has Written Two Books

Balbir Singh has written two books. First was his autobiography titled The Golden Hat Trick that was released in the markets in the year 1977 and the second book titled The Golden Yardstick: In Quest of Hockey Excellence that was released in the markets in the year 2008.

Indian Hockey team at the Tokyo Asian Games

He was made to represent the Indian Hockey team at the Tokyo Asian Games in the year 1958 and Jakarta Asian Games in the year 1962. Balbir has also served as the Trainer of the Indian Hockey team for the World Cup Hockey in the year 1971, in which the team coped to grab a Silver Medal in the game. Later, he was made the Manager of the Indian Hockey team partaking at the World Cup Hockey in the year 1975.

Balbir Singh Senior Became the Very First Sports Person

In the year 1957, Balbir Singh Senior became the very first Sports person to be honored with the Padma Shri award. He ignited the Holy Flame at the Asian Games in the year 1982 that was held at New Delhi, India. In the year 2006, he was honored with the title the Best Sikh Hockey Player of All Times. Moreover, in a survey conducted in the year 1982 he was declared to be the Player of the Century by the people.