Introduction
Leslie Claudius is one amongst the very most well-known players in the history of the Indian hockey. Leslie Claudius is also considered to be one amongst the very best halfback hockey players ever played in the hockey game. This renowned player was a member of the National Indian hockey team which attained the Olympic gold medal for the three consecutive years in the year 1948, in the year 1952, in the year 1956 and won a silver medal in the year 1960. He turned out to be the very first player to have been part of the team that played in four Olympics. He was also the very first player who has played more than hundred international hockey matches.
Alongside with the famous hokcye player Dhyan Chand, he was often known as India's ultimate hockey player ever. Leslie Claudius was also the coach and trained the National Indian Hockey team which completed second at Olympics that was held at Rome in the year 1960. He died on the 20th day of the December month in the year 2012 at the age 85.Leslie Claudius was born on the 25th day of the March month in the year 1927 at the Bilaspur, Madhya Pradesh, India in a family with 9 kids.
Early Life
Leslie Claudius was sitting by the field, unabashedly watching the game. One player was found short in 1 of the 2 teams and the Captain of the undersized team Dickie Carr asked Leslie to be a part of the team and play for them. Dickie had the respect of playing for the Indian country at the Berlin Olympics in the year 1936. Though Leslie didn't have prior knowledge about Hockey, Dickie enjoyed his style of playing hockey and invited him for a trial. Just a few days later, Leslie was welcomed into the Bengal Nagpur Railway team, certain players of which relished the status of existing as an Olympian.
Primarily, he was highly interested in the game of Football, and even used to miss classes during school so that he can play the game. He was a proficient Football player, and he even got an opportunity to be a part of the famous Bengal Nagpur Railway team as a Left-Half to play in the Indian Football Association Shield Tournament. Leslie's very first introduction to the game of Field Hockey occurred during a very odd event. While a rehearsal session between the �A' Hockey team and �B' Hockey team of the Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) was happening at Kharagpur, and the sides were formulating for the Beighton Cup Hockey tournament that was going to be organized in Calcutta which is now renamed as Kolkata.
Introduction to Hockey
The National Indian Hockey team succeeded to finish second at the Beighton Cup Hockey Tournament, and Leslie found the game of field Hockey exhilarating enough to leave the game of Football.Leslie Claudius was part of the team that played for Port Commissioner as a Center Half in the Aga Khan Hockey tournament that was held at Bombay which is now renamed as Mumbai, in the year 1948. He provided a delightful performance and gathered the eyes of the nation. In the assortment trials for the London Olympics that came up right after the Aga Khan Hockey tournament, Leslie Claudius had a rupture in his hand.
International Career
Still, Leslie Claudius performed so well at the trials that he was chosen for the game event at the tender age of 21. It was just a short span 2 years that he had instigated playing field Hockey. He got to be a part of the team in only one match in the Olympics that was held at London, which gave the Indian country its very first Gold Medal a free nation. Leslie Claudius was being a part of the National Indian Olympic team that made a hat-trick wins of Gold Medals at the London Olympics, the Helsinki Olympics and the Melbourne Olympics. Leslie's skills as a robust Mid Fielder got him universal recognition and fame. He died on the 20th day of the December month in the year 2012 at the age 85.
Captaincy
In the year of 1959, Leslie Claudius was made the Captain of the National Indian Hockey team, while Dhyan Chand was being part of the team as the Coach of the team. He directed the team to a Europe tour where the National Indian Hockey team played nearly 19 matches, won a whooping 15 matches out of them, drew 3 matches and lost just in single match. At the Rome Olympics in the year 1960, Leslie Claudius wanted to develop as the very first Hockey player to have been an important part of the National Indian Hockey team winning 4 Hockey Gold Medals in a row consecutively.
India had a pleasing record of nearly 30 successive victories
Until then, India had a pleasing record of nearly 30 successive victories in the Olympic Games since the year 1928. But Indian team had lost to the Pakistan team in the Last match of the hockey game event, which ruined the visions of Leslie. Still, he succeeded to establish a world record of attaining 4 Olympic Medals in the sport Hockey which also includes 3 Gold medals and 1 Silver medal. Leslie Claudius was also the very first Hockey player ever to be a part of Indian National Hockey team that played in 4 Olympic events. Leslie Claudius terminated his International Hockey career soon after the Rome Olympics, and was being a part of the team that represented Bengal and Calcutta Customs in the local Hockey for the next 5 years.
Leslie Claudius was the 6th Hockey player
Leslie Claudius was respected with a famous and sacred Padma Shri award in the year of 1971 by the Indian Government, and Leslie Claudius was the 6th Hockey player to ever receive the honor award. Leslie has served as the National Indian Hockey team as a Team Manager for the Asian Games that was held in the year 1974 and in the year 1978, and he also continued to be the member of the Selection Board of the National Indian Hockey Federation for some time.
