Hockey India on Thursday condoled the death of hockey legend Padma Shri and Arjuna Awardee Charanjit Singh, who passed away due to age-related complications in Una district of Himachal Pradesh. He was 92 years old. The two-time Olympian was a part of India’s glory days. A charismatic halfback, Charanjit Singh led the Indian team to a historic gold medal at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, defeating Pakistan in the final and was also part of the Indian team that won silver at the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
Born on 20 November 1929, Charanjit Singh was an alumnus of Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun and Panjab University. After his illustrious career in international hockey, he worked as the director of the Department of Physical Education at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla.
When Hockey India interviewed the legend for the Hockey India Flashback Series in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympic Games in June, 2021, he recalled the final against Pakistan during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
He recalled, “At that time both the teams were considered to be one of the strongest teams, and we had a very challenging outing against them. Also, you know, how intense it gets when you play against Pakistan, that too in the final of the Olympics. The match was also interrupted for a while to quell the anger of both the teams. I told my boys to focus on the game instead of wasting time talking to them. We were tested hard, but we also showed great character, winning the match by a 1-0 margin to return home with that historic gold medal.”
He had also reminisced about the grand welcome he received on his return to India wearing the coveted gold medal around his neck. It is a moment of pride and honor for me to win two medals for the country. You know, after winning the gold medal in the 1964 Olympics, on our arrival at the airport we were given a warm welcome, a lot of fans had gathered, and it was a very special feeling for each and every one of us. ,
“Hockey was a very popular sport in India. It was given more importance because of the rich history, and our country dominated the sport in the early years. We had won many gold medals in prestigious event like Olympics, and behind this These were the main reasons,” the non-Ezarian had said while speaking about the golden age of Indian hockey.
Condoling the demise of Charanjit Singh, Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said, “It is a sad day for the hockey fraternity. Even in his old age, he used to talk about hockey every now and then and he could remember every great moment right when he was a part of India’s hockey heyday. He was a great halfback who inspired an entire generation of players. He was a very calm captain and will always be remembered for his incredible skills on the field and his humility off the field. On behalf of Hockey India, I express my deepest condolences to his family.
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