Udham Singh passes into history

CHENNAI, MARCH 24. Death has deprived the hockey community of a giant in Udham Singh. The doughty warrior, who not only symbolised the essence of hockey ethos of Punjab but also of the country, passed away at Sansarpur, near Jalandhar, on Thursday. The inside forward, whose finesse and fluency filled the heart of innumerable hockey aficionados during the `Golden Age' of Indian hockey, was 72.

If Roop Singh portrayed, in the pre-partition days, the sum and substance of the qualities that an inside forward should be endowed with, Udham mirrored the charm and craft for well over two decades in the post-war era.

It is difficult to convey, to the enthusiasts of this generation with any comparable degree of eloquence, the classicism that Udham displayed on the field. Hockey for Udham Singh was an art, an expression that filled the senses and triggered an emotional experience.

The stick was to him what a paintbrush would be to an artist. It was a throbbing spectacle whenever he fashioned his stocky frame to weave its way through the rival defence and leave it in a state of inertia.

That Udham lasted for four Olympics from 1952 to 1964 underlines the fabric of endurance, physical fitness and determination to succeed at the higher echelons of competitive hockey. Actually Udham was unfortunate not to etch his name as the only Indian to have been in five Olympics - a finger injury came in the way of his making to the first post-war Olympics in London in 1948. He donned the colours in 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne), 1960 (Rome) and 1964 (Tokyo) and had three gold medals and a silver to cherish.

Born at Sansarpur village, considered to be the `cradle' of Indian hockey, on August 4, 1928 - the year India earned Olympic honours at Amsterdam - Udham was a product of the DAV College. At the age of 19, Udham won the Punjab State colours, which he retained for 17 years without a break till 1965.

Undaunted by the injury which robbed him of the 1948 Olympics, Udham returned to the National team on a tour to Afghanisatan. Since then, no India outfit was complete without the redoubtable Udham, who toured Poland in 1953, played in the Warsaw International in 1955, and led the squad for the 1959 tour of East Africa. He was also the vice captain in an international tournament at Munich.

A lesser mortal than Udham would have given up after the debacle in Rome in 1960. At 32, with the fire and passion for the sport still alive, Udham regained his place in the National team for the tournament at Lyons in 1963. At the age of 36, he earned his third gold at Tokyo.

Out of competitive hockey, Udham took to coaching the State and Punjab Police squads, and played a leading role in shaping the brilliant careers of Ajitpal Singh, Harmik Singh, Surjit Singh and a host of other players.

It was something of a paradox that the Arjuna Award was given to Udham Singh in 1965 after it had been awarded to Prithpal Singh in 1963 and Charanjit Singh the next year.

A stickler for details and a strict disciplinarian, Udham was a hard taskmaster, not easily satisfied with achievements. He urged his wards to strive for more. A measure of his commitment cannot be better exemplified than by the fact that Udham ignored the advice of his doctor to rest and recuperate after the heart- attack a few weeks ago. He went to the playground in Sansarpur to share some happy moments with his trainees. A second attack, almost immediately, proved fatal.

A hockey legend is lost forever. Only memories of his deeds linger.

IHF president's condolences

The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) President, Mr. K.P.S. Gill said that with the passing away of Udham Singh another link with the Golden Age of Indian hockey had been removed from the scene. Mr. Gill added that ``at this stage when we are trying to recapture our past glory, we should emulate the glorious contribution of Udham Singh''.

The IHF Secretary, K. Jothikumaran and treasurer J.N. Tyagi also conveyed their condolences to Udham Singh's family.

Glowing tributes were also paid to Udham by his erstwhile Mumbai- based teammates Leo Pinto and Joe Antic. Pinto, the 1948 London Olympics goalkeeper, said ``the position of inside left could only be filled by him with the sure knowledge that the team would benefit immensely. Defending the goal, I could see his way of functioning, his uncanny dribbling skills. We have remained good friends over the years. It is a sad loss for me''.

Antic, the centre half in the Rome Olympics, said that Balbir Singh (senior) benefited from Udham's passes.``We were together on the 1958 East African tour and the 1959 European tour before Rome. He was an outstanding left inner. India do not produce players like him Anymore. Balbir Singh, who was the master of the `D', could not have become what he was without Udham's contributions'', said Antic.

His views were echoed by another Olympian, Gurbux Singh, who was much junior to Udham and who had played against the legendary Punjab star in tournaments in India. ``He was one of the coaches in the run-up to the 1968 Mexico Olynpics. He was a thorough gentleman and it is a big loss to Indian hockey'', said the ex- India inside-right.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Women's Olympic qualifier inaugurated
Next     : Crystal Moment completes hat-trick