Vale Balbir Singh Sr.

Hockey Australia joins Hockey India and hockey fans around the globe in mourning the passing of Indian and world hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr.

The gold medallist at three consecutive Olympic Games died at the age of 95 on Monday, leaving a profound legacy on the sport of hockey.

Australian audiences were privileged to have seen Balbir Singh Sr. play LIVE as he captained India’s team that went on to win gold at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics against arch rival Pakistan.

Four years earlier he scored five goals in the gold medal match against the Netherlands in 1952, his haul a record that still stands today for the highest number of goals scored by an individual in a men’s Olympic hockey final.

Regarded as a legendary goal machine and hockey maestro among a host of other compliments, Balbir Singh Sr. was an integral part of India’s golden and dominant hockey era.

Following his playing days, he went on to coach his country to World Cup glory in 1975.

Hockey Australia sends its condolences to the family of Balbir Singh Sr. and the Indian hockey community at this time.