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What’s the story?
Balbir Singh Senior, one the greatest hockey players to have ever played for India, was conferred with the lifetime achievement award at the inaugural edition of Indian Sports Honours.
In case you didn’t know
The centre-forward was an influential figure in India’s gold medal-winning campaign in London, Helsinki and Melbourne Olympics in 1948, 1952 and 1956 respectively. The man from Punjab also holds the unique record of scoring the most goals in an Olympic final — five against Holland in Helsinki. He was also the captain of the Indian team during the Melbourne Olympics, and the first sportsperson to be awarded with the Padma Shri.
Heart of the matter
The inaugural edition of Indian Sports Honours, which is founded by the RP-SG group in partnership with the Virat Kohli foundation, was organised in Mumbai on Saturday night, which saw sportspersons from all over the country getting recognised for their achievements.
While there were individual and team awards for the active sportstars, the organisers didn’t forget to honour the legendary hockey player, who was also the manager and chief coach of the 1975 World Cup winning men’s hockey team.
What’s next?
Even at the age of 93, Balbir Singh exudes the energy of a youngster and is an inspiration for generations to come. Players like him should always be honoured on platforms like these.
Author’s take
The organisers of Indian Sports Honours have to be lauded for the initiative they have taken. This was a one-of-a-kind function in the field of sports, which was held in the country for the very first time.
As the jury comprised of veteran players from the past, the nominations were spot on and the selection of Balbir Singh for the lifetime achievement award was the cherry on the cake. It’s very important for the future stars to known what their predecessors have achieved and this award just pushed the cause.
