The Story Of Hockey Legend Prithipal Singh, World's Most Feared Penalty Corner Specialist
India was once a hockey
powerhouse and it was because of certain men that we achieved that
status. Anyone who follows hockey immediately recognises Dhyan Chand but
very few know about Prithipal Singh, the ‘King of Short Corners’.
Singh was born in Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan) and his family moved to East Punjab after partition. Being the son of a teacher, he always found value in education and, therefore, completed his M.Sc degree alongside pursuing his love for hockey. Prithipal was good in academics as well as in sports, which is why he received a Roll of Honors from Agriculture College, Ludhiana.
After completing his M.Sc, Prithipal Singh joined Punjab Police and continued to play for them in various tournaments in Africa and Europe. After his terrific performance in the Munich festival in Germany, where he was adjudged the best full-back player, the Punjabi lad was selected for the Olympics in 1960.
Such was his prominence in the 1960 Olympics that Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1961, and thus, he became the first hockey player to be honoured with the prestigious award. ‘The Evening Post’, New Zealand, even commented during the Olympics that to face the fury of Prithipal’s hit was to risk one’s life.
Prithipal’s sharp reflexes and strong arms were a cut above everyone
in the competition. He was skilled in delivering inch perfect drag
flicks capable of fetching wins. Singh participated in three Olympics
and was the highest scorer in all three events by a good margin. In the
Tokyo Olympics alone, Singh scored 10 of the 22 goals scored by team
India.
Before he retired from international hockey in 1968, Singh was also
awarded the Padma Shri because of his invaluable contribution to Indian
hockey. From then on, Prithipal spent most of his time as a hockey
administrator and the director of Student Welfare in Punjab Agricultural
University.
Pritipal’s illustrious life came to an abrupt end when he was shot by one of his own student, who belonged to a miltant group, in the campus of Punjab Agriculture University, 1983. A movie based on his life will be premiered at the All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival next month.
source:mensxp.com
Singh was born in Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan) and his family moved to East Punjab after partition. Being the son of a teacher, he always found value in education and, therefore, completed his M.Sc degree alongside pursuing his love for hockey. Prithipal was good in academics as well as in sports, which is why he received a Roll of Honors from Agriculture College, Ludhiana.
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After completing his M.Sc, Prithipal Singh joined Punjab Police and continued to play for them in various tournaments in Africa and Europe. After his terrific performance in the Munich festival in Germany, where he was adjudged the best full-back player, the Punjabi lad was selected for the Olympics in 1960.
Such was his prominence in the 1960 Olympics that Singh was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1961, and thus, he became the first hockey player to be honoured with the prestigious award. ‘The Evening Post’, New Zealand, even commented during the Olympics that to face the fury of Prithipal’s hit was to risk one’s life.
© Facebook
© Facebook
Pritipal’s illustrious life came to an abrupt end when he was shot by one of his own student, who belonged to a miltant group, in the campus of Punjab Agriculture University, 1983. A movie based on his life will be premiered at the All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival next month.
source:mensxp.com
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