Remembering Charanjit Singh: All You Need To Know About Indias Hockey Legend, Olympic Gold Medalist

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Remembering Charanjit Singh: All You Need To Know About India's Hockey Legend, Olympic Gold Medalist

Charanjit Singh (90) died on January 27 after suffering a cardiac arrest that followed prolonged age-related illnesses. He was one of the most celebrated hockey players in Indian history, who led his team to gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

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Captain of India's 1964 Tokyo Olympics gold medal-winning hockey team, Charanjit Singh, passed away on Thursday, January 27, at his home in Una, Himachal Pradesh after suffering a cardiac arrest that followed prolonged age-related illnesses. In February, the former mid-fielder aged 90 years would have turned a year older. He is survived by two sons and one daughter.

Charanjit suffered a stroke five years back and has remained paralysed since then.

Besides captaining the Olympic gold-winning team in 1964, he was a part of the silver-winning side in the 1960 Olympic Games. He was also a part of the 1962 Asian Games silver-winning team.

His wife died 12 years ago. While his elder son is a doctor in Canada, his younger son was next to him when he breathed his last. His only daughter is married and settled in New Delhi, NDTV reported. His last rites will be performed this evening in Una.

Gold Medal In 1964 Olympics

The two-time Olympian was a part of Indian team's glorious days. A charismatic halfback, Charanjit had led his side to a historic gold medal in 1964 Tokyo Olympics by beating Pakistan in the final and also featured in the national team that won silver in the 1960 Games in Rome.

Charanjit was an alumnus of Col Brown Cambridge School, Dehradun and Punjab University. After his prominent career in international hockey, he worked as the director of the physical education department at Himachal Pradesh University in Shimla.

He was one of India's stunning performance architects at the 1960 Olympics before an unfortunate injury forced him to sit out of the final against arch-rivals Pakistan, which they lost by a slender 0-1 margin. The 1960 disappointment still fresh in his mind, a Charanjit-led India turned the tables around four years later, defeating Pakistan by the same margin to clinch the gold medal.

Recollecting the fond memory in the lead-up to last year's Tokyo Olympics, Charanjit had told Hockey India Flashback Series, "Both the teams were regarded among the strongest teams during that time, and we had a very challenging outing against them (Pakistan). Moreover, how intense it becomes when you play against Pakistan that too in the finals. The match was also interrupted shortly to cool down the tempers of both teams,"

"I told my players to focus on the game, rather than wasting time talking. We were tested hard but also showed great spirit, and won the match by a narrow 1-0 margin to return home with that historic gold medal," he had said.

Speaking further about his Olympic achievements, Charanjit had said, "Winning two medals for the country has been a moment of pride and honour for me. After winning the gold medal, we were accorded a warm welcome on our arrival at the airport, a lot of fans had assembled, and it was an exceptional feeling for every one of us."

"Hockey was a prevalent sport in India. It was given much significance because of the rich history, and our country had dominated in this sport in early years. We had won many gold medals at an esteemed event like the Olympics, and that was the key reason behind it," he told Hockey India Flashback Series.

Hockey India Expresses Grief

Condoling the death of Charanjit, Hockey India said that the country has lost a legend of the sport.

"It is a sad day for the hockey fraternity. Even in his old age, he would light up every time there were conversations about hockey, and he could accurately recall every significant moment he was part of during India's golden days of hockey," HI president Gyanendro Nigombam said.

"He was a legendary halfback who inspired an entire generation of players. He was a very cool-headed captain, and he will forever be remembered for his incredible skills on the field and his humility off the field," he added.

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