NEW DELHI:”Maintaining a hockey stick would be similar to holding the flag” Former India striker Jagbir Singh set the game’s unmatched patriotic flavour from the most beautiful manner an individual could consider. The dialogue had India’s men’s baseball in the 1948 London Olympics core for this.
It had been India’s fourth successive gold in baseball (later 1928, 1932 and 1936 – variations in 1940 and 1944 were cancelled because of World War II), but the first since an independent country, playing underneath the tricolour.
“A patriotic atmosphere has ever stayed with baseball. Subsequently it [1948] had been a Olympics at London, to the dirt of those Britishers who’d mastered usand we conquered them at the last to win gold” Jagbir mentioned, sharing his feelings with Timesofindia.com.
Until this afternoon of August 12 at 1948, the Britishers had constantly refused to play with an Indian group, apparently concealing their fear of dropping supporting the rationale that India was among the colonies. But standing reverse Kishan Lal’s group of legends in the Wembley Stadium, hosts Good Britain needed to play with this Indian group.
Back in Balbir Singh Sr’s words, as stated in his autobiography’The Golden Hat-Trick – The Hockey Days’the British snub was a result of some”feeling of false prestige” and”haughty British traits”.
One study of India’s group sheet out of this historical day is sufficient to provide one goosebumps.
(Balbir Singh Sr after scoring his second goal at the 1948 Olympics closing )
KD Singh Babu, Leslie Claudius, Balbir Singh Sr, Keshav Dutt, Randhir Singh Gentle were a number of those names who might make opponents’ thighs shake. And through 70 minutes of baseball in the closing, this”false stature” of this Britishers was laid bare by the Indians, that won 4-0.
Two goals came from the pole of Balbir Singh Sr plus one apiece by Tarlochan Singh and also Pat Jansen were listed to the score sheet.
Having said this, the charge for setting the basis of Indian baseball dominance can not be removed in the predecessors of the 1948 group, using Major Dhyan Chand function as mythical lynchpin.
It was chiefly due to the heritage of the golden medals from the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics which India might extend its historical run in baseball despite having a difference of 12 years between 1936 and another version of the Games due to the next World War. Dhyan Chand & Co had inspired an entire generation of gamers, that took up the game and turned into legends.
(1948 Olympic winners assembly Governor General C. Rajagopalachari)
“1948 was always unique. On the other hand, the awards we won earlier were both memorable as they were connected with Dada Dhyan Chand,” explained Jagbir. “Because Ray has ever been connected with him (Dhyan Chand).”
The protagonist of the 1948 Olympics baseball closing, Balbir Singh Sr, passed out last season on May 25. However, Timesofindia.com had the golden chance of speaking to him 2018, when he reminisced the scenes of 1948.
“It occurred 70 decades back, but it seems like yesterday,” he’d said .
“The Tiranga [India’s national flag] grew up gradually. Together with all our National Anthem being playedmy freedom-fighter dad’s words’Our FlagOur Nation’ came flooding backagain. I finally realized what he intended. I believed I had been climbing off the floor along with the fluttering Tiranga,” he further added.
Balbir Singh Sr summed up the nation’s euphoria following beating Great Britain in his autobiography.
“We’re swept off our feet [upon return home] and it was here that I realised exactly what the victory meant for our country, starved because it had been of world class achievements. Hockey has been the only game that gave the nation a beam of hope, something to cheer for and observe.”
India Squad, 1948 London Olympics:
Kishan Lal (c), Ranganathan Francis, Leo Pinto, Walter D’Souza, Tarlochan Singh Bawa, Akhtar Hussain, Randhir Singh Gentle, Kunwar Digvijay Singh Babu, Keshav Dutt, Amir Kumar, Maxie Vaz, Leslie Claudius, Balbir Singh, Patrick Jansen, Latifur Rehman, Lawrie Fernandes, Gerald Glacken, Reginald Rodrigues, Grahanandan Singh, Jaswant Singh Rajput
