Senior on top among Balbirs of Indian hockey

CHANDIGARH: Four male hockey Olympians of India had the same name — Balbir Singh. Out of them Balbir Singh Senior, who passed away on Monday, stands the tallest with three Olympic gold medals. He was a member of the Indian teams that won gold medals in the 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki) and 1956 (Melbourne) Olympics.
His other three namesakes — Balbir Singh Kullar, Colonel Balbir Singh Kular (retired) and Balbir Singh Grewal — played together in the 1968 Olympics (Mexico) where India won a bronze medal and in the 1966 Asian Games (Bangkok) in which the Indian team clinched the yellow metal.
Two other Balbirs also played for the Indian men’s hockey but they were not part of the Olympics squad. Balbir Singh Junior, also from Sansarpur, was a member of the Indian team that won a silver medal in the 1958 (Tokyo) Asian Games and Balbir Singh Randhawa represented the country in an international tournament held in 1967 at Madrid.
Interestingly, Kullar and Col Balbir hail from the same village — Sansapur in Jalandhar, referred to as the cradle of hockey that has produced a record 14 Olympians. They are from the same clan — Kular. Kullar, who retired as the deputy inspector-general of police (DIG) from Punjab Police, passed away on February 28 this year.

Recalling his association with Balbir Senior, Jalandhar-based Col Balbir said, “From among us, he is by far the greatest. I am proud to share my name with such a player. In 2006, he was voted as the ‘Best Sikh Hockey Player’ by an organization in New Delhi. It reflects his stellar achievements. For me, Balbir is to India what Sir Donald Bradman is to Australia and Pele to Brazil.”
He said they got a chance to work together in 1981 and 1982. “I was the coach of the Indian hockey team in 1981 and 1982 while Balbir Senior was the manager. Indian team won a bronze medal in the FIH Champions Trophy held at Amstelveen (Netherlands) in 1982 and finished second in the New Delhi Asian Games (1982) when we worked together.”
He also recalled a moment from 1995 during a national-level hockey tournament in New Delhi when all four Balbirs got together to pose for a picture. “It was just by chance that all four of us were watching a tournament in New Delhi when photographers asked us to pose together. That photo became a lifetime memory for us and also for those who follow the sport,” Col Balbir said.
Balbir Singh Senior
Olympics: 1948 (London), 1952 (Helsinki), 1956 (Melbourne); Asian Games: 1958 (Tokyo)
Balbir Singh Kullar
Olympics: 1968 (Mexico); Asian Games: 1966 (Bangkok)
Col Balbir Singh Kular (retd)
Olympics: 1968 (Mexico); Asian Games: 1966 (Bangkok) and 1970 (Bangkok)
Balbir Singh Grewal
Olympics: 1968 (Mexico); Asian Games: 1966 (Bangkok) and 1970 (Bangkok)