NEW DELHI: Charanjit Singh, the Indian hockey hero who captained the Olympic team that won gold in Tokyo in 1964, died in Una, Himachal Pradesh, after suffering from Cardiac arrest
The two-time Olympian was a major figure in India's heyday in hockey. Charanjit Singh, a dynamic halfback, led India to a historic gold medal at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, defeating Pakistan in the final, and was also a member of the Indian team that finished second in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome.
Charanjit was born in Mairi village in the Una district of the State on November 22, 1930. He was a member of the team that won the silver medal at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He attended Col. Brown Cambridge School, Dehra Dun, and Punjab University.
Charanjit Singh worked as the Director of the Department of Physical Education at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla after retiring from hockey.
"It is a sad day for the hockey fraternity," Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam remarked of Charanjit Singh's death. Even in his old age, he would light up whenever there was a discussion about hockey, and he could vividly recall every memorable occasion from India's golden hockey days. He was a great halfback who influenced a generation of football players. He was a calm Captain who will be remembered for his outstanding on-field abilities as well as his modesty off the field. I sent my heartfelt condolences to his family on behalf of Hockey India."
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