The Indian Hockey team is back to winning days in recent years. The Olympic Bronze Medals in the Paris and Tokyo Games as well as the Gold in the Asian Games have renewed interests in hockey. But there was a time when India was an undisputed leader in the world hockey, winning hat-trick Gold in Olympics.
The Indian Army had fostered the hockey players, honing their skills with exposure and facilities, while also ensuring their employments in the armed forces. The motherly role of the Indian army is traced with vivid accounts in the memoir of Olympics veteran Col. (Retd.) Balbir Singh.
Col. (Retd.) Balbir Singh had captained the Indian Hockey Men's team. After retirement from playing career, he coached the Men's and Women's teams. He clinically examines the decline of the Indian Hockey team after winning three consecutive Gold medals in the Olympics.
To him the decline in the hockey team's performances at the world stage came with the experiment of disturbing the leadership of the players. In his memoir, Col. (Retd.) Balbir Singh writes: "Winning the Bronze Medal in the 1968 Olympics was more reason for reflections than celebrations."
This story is from the Delhi 10 November 2024 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Delhi 10 November 2024 edition of Millennium Post Delhi.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
'I STARTED SLOW AND PICKED UP GRADUALLY'
Actor Barun Sobti gets candid about his showbiz journey
OOTY: GRANDEUR IN SIMPLICITY
A journey to Ooty-the 'Queen of Hill Stations'-from bustling metropolis can be described as a soothing retreat to tranquil tea gardens, mesmerising colonial charm, serene lakes, and a whole lot of other soulful encounters; writes Monjit P.
PANDEMIC PAIN & POETRY
'Lockdown and other Poems' by Pramod Jain offers a painfully poetic trail through the helplessness, despair, and suffering of mankind during the horrid years of the pandemic, while also vividly capturing the pulse of uncertainty that the nature holds, and its myriad manifestations
An unviable alternative
Despite its low-carbon benefits, nuclear energy's high costs, safety risks, and regulatory hurdles limit its role in mitigation as a renewable energy source, with even advanced reactors likely serving as mere supplements to more economical renewables like wind and solar
Moulding a new future
President-elect Trump’s threat of 100 per cent tariffs against BRICS is a manifestation of prevailing geopolitical tensions as the bloc challenges dollar hegemony, pushing for alternatives to IMF and the World Bank while activists also demand systemic reforms like debt cancellation of the global south and wealth redistribution to combat inequality
CHINA'S SPEED DEMON
Chinese companies have unveiled the 'world's fastest internet' network that can transmit data at 1.2 terabits per second. This speed is said to be over 10 times faster than most current major internet routes, let alone the idea of how significant a milestone it is in our journey towards a more connected and innovative future
An English lesson for New Zealand
Milestones galore as England lead Kiwis by 533 runs
Chhetri oldest hat-trick scorer in ISL
BENGALURU: The legendary Sunil Chhetri etched his name in the Indian Super League (ISL) record books on Saturday, becoming the oldest player to score a hat-trick in the league's history as he powered Bengaluru FC to a commanding 4-2 victory over Kerala Blasters.
Series on line, women look to get their act together vs Australia
BRISBANE: A desperate Indian women's team will need its under-fire batters to step up in the second ODI of their three-match series against Australia here on Sunday as the visitors aim to avoid yet another series loss Down Under.
A Head-scratcher
BGT: Head's ton flattens India before Aussies' pacers create big trouble
