Indian hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr’s death evoked emotional tributes from Pakistan. The 96-year-old three-time Olympic gold-medallist, considered one of the best centre-forwards of all time, died on Monday in Mohali.
“He had amazing flexibility, speed and litheness in his game. His sprints were a treat to watch,” former Pakistan captain Samiullah was quoted as saying by PTI. Samiullah and won three Asian Games and one World Cup gold during his career.
“Hockey has lost a big name as Balbir Singh was someone who enabled India to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympics because of his outstanding game,” Samiullah added.
The Secretary General of the Pakistan Hockey Federation Asif Bajwa thinks Balbir was one of the greatest. “Never saw him play but we heard so much about him from our seniors that it is clear he was a striker in a different class,” Bajwa said.
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Former Pakistan captain and coach, Hasan Sardar revealed that he took a lot of inspiration by hearing stories about Singh.
Islahuddin Siddiqui, one of the big names of Pakistan hockey, recalled meeting Singh several times in the 1970s and ‘80s during international events.
“He was a very polite and humble and had great knowledge of the game. He was also willing to share his experiences if you approached him,” he said.
Singh was the manager of the Indian team that defeated Pakistan in the 1975 World Cup final. Islahuddin added that it was because of someone like Singh who made it possible for the subcontinent to dominate world hockey.