Why was Jaipal Singh, not living in India at the time, selected to lead India’s Olympic hockey challenge in 1928? What were his credentials that prompted the Indian authorities to look up to him for India’s first ever Olympic gold? Who was the another famous son of India, who would later become President of India and who also played hockey in the same club as that of Jaipal Singh? Historian Dil Bahra has the answers in his portrayal of All India Hockey Club tour of Europe in 1925 – Editor

 By DILJIT SINGH BAHRA

Indian Students studying at British Universities in England in the 1920s had formed the All India Club for social and sporting activities. Jaipal Singh, student of St John’s College at Oxford, was the Hon Secretary of the All India Hockey Club which operated from Church Imperial Club in Victoria Street, London SW1.

Author Dil Bahra

Jaipal Singh played for St John’s College at Oxford from 1922 to 1926, captaining the college hockey team in the 1924-25 season. Jaipal then represented the college football XI the next season.

Jaipal Singh came into prominence when he played for Isis Hockey Club in Oxford after which he was selected to represent Oxford University for the annual Inter-Varsity match against Cambridge. This match was held on February 20, 1924, at Beckenham. Oxford won 3-0 after losing the previous three encounters. He became popular with an outstanding performance in the match.

The varsity match which has been played annually since 1890 was a high profile hockey fixture in the English hockey calendar.

St John’s College hockey team, 1924. Captain Jaipal Singh sitting at centre. Photo: by permission of St John’s College, Oxford Archive Photo I.F.4.

The famous left-back Jaipal Singh, who got his ‘Blue’ in 1924 – awarded only to the starting 11 in those times — became the first player from the subcontinent to be so honoured. S.A. Wahid and Ifthikar Ali Khan Pataudi followed Jaipal Singh. The duo were awarded their hockey Blue in 1930. The ‘Nawab’ was awarded a double Blue in 1931 (hockey and cricket). The Oxford colour is dark blue, Cambridge light.

Jaipal Singh repeated his form the following year too when the Oxford beat Cambridge 3-2 on 18 February, 1925, again at Beckenham, to retain the trophy. Thus, the most well-known Indian hockey player outside India was regarded as one of the best full-backs in England during this period, getting such fame a year ahead of Dhyan Chand’s historic New Zealand tour. Jaipal also played against Cambridge next year in February in the same competition.

In the summer of 1925, Jaipal mooted — and then executed — the idea of a 3-week Continental tour (Dec.17, 925 Jan. 5, 1926). The tour is believed to be the first British hockey club ever to tour Europe. What a pioneering effort by the Indian diaspora!

The club’s team consisted of Indian resident students at various British Universities, the bulk of them coming from Cambridge and London though the team included players from Manchester, Edinburgh and Oxford as well.

Fitzwilliam House Hockey Team 1924 – 25. S.M Yusuf (2nd from left, standing. Photo: by kind permission of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge

The touring team included Shahzada Mohammad Yusuf, from Punjab, a student at Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge University (1923 to 1927). He played hockey for Fitzwilliam House and captained the team in the 1926-27 season. He also played a few matches for Cambridge University. Later Yusuf would represent India at the Amsterdam 1928 Olympic Games and win the gold medal.

The team also had another player who would later become a luminary in the Indian political milieu: Former president of India Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad (Pic below). He was graduating at St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, at the time of the tour. 

St Catharine’s College Hockey Team 1925 – 6. F A Ahmad is 1st left, middle row. Photo: St Catharine’s College, Cambridge.

The squad of 15 left London on December 17^th, 1925, from Victoria Station, London and travelled to Brussels, Belgium. They played two matches there and another in Antwerp.

The touring party left Paris on December 21^st and arrived in Barcelona on the 22^nd. They played matches in Barcelona (El Real Polo Hockey Club de Barcelona), Valencia (El Valencia Hockey Club de Valencia), Bilbao and Madrid (El Athletic Hockey Club de Madrid), the last match being played in the Spanish capital on January 4^th, 1926. They returned to London on January 6^th after three weeks.

THE ALL INDIA HOCKEY CLUB TEAM (1925) touring team:
Jaipal Singh (St John’s College, Oxford University), captain
J A Fernandes (Bombay)
J S C Daver (Bombay)
M A Beg (N.W.F.)
Vajid Mahmood (Kings College, London University)
Russel Afzal (University College, London University)
C W Little (Madras)
A A Baig (Lahore)
S M Yusuf (Punjab and Fitzwilliam House, Cambridge University)
Nizam Uddin Ahmad (Non-collegiate, London University)
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad (St Catharine’s College, Cambridge University)
J A Admad (Rawalpindi (now in Pak)
S M Sharif (Agra)
P M Reddy (Hyderabad)
Ali Ahmad (Aligarh, ICR College, London University).

In the tour memoirs, Jaipal fondly recollected how enormous crowds welcomed them; on the hosts’ players reaction to umpires and how their rival players were highly athletic and goalkeepers outstanding, despite which his team won all matches.

He went on to add, “The Spaniards are inclined to dispute with the referee too much, all in earnest as well as good blood. There is too much keenness to win. Amidst all this, there is one thing where Spain excels. Never have I seen better goalkeepers anywhere. Every club we played had a most excellent goalkeeper. I may say, without any qualification, that every one of them, i.e., the goalkeepers, would get his English Cap were he here!

“Speed is the feature in Spanish hockey. Flicking is unknown and so are short passes. The Athletic Club at Madrid will compare favourably with a good many London clubs. The Spaniards are most hospitable. They have a real warm heart. The Athletic Club of Madrid are coming to Folkestone for Easter. I am acting as their secretary in England for making various arrangements, and a dinner will be given in their honour, for which I shall be responsible.”

The success perhaps spurred others in England also to form clubs. Hermits Hockey Club, founded in Hilary Term, 1926, as a social and athletic club for Indian student resident at Oxford University, was one such.

The Hermits Club provided winter games for Indian students who, in those months, did little in field sports. In 1926 the club had about 40 players and were able to raise effective playing XIs regularly. The club played mid-week as well. The club got unfailing support from His Highness Jam Sahib of Nawanagar and the Aga Khan. Hermits were a regular fixture at the annual Folkestone Festival.

In Cambridge the “Crocodiles” resembled the Hermits.

Hermits Hockey Club at Folkestone Festival in 1939.                                                           Photo: Dil Bahra collection.

The tours paved the way for Indians to demonstrate their flair in Europe and overseas.The pioneering work by the Indian students on this tour laid a firm foundation for Indian hockey itself. This was underscored when Jaipal Singh was selected to lead India at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games). S M Yusuf was also a member of the golden team.

The All India Club continued their annual tours to the continent for many years. In 1930 Nawab of Pataudi Sr., led the club on a tour of Germany. The team left for Hamburg on 18^th December, 1930 and played matches against Harvestehude in Hamburg, Uhlenhorst; Hamburg University; Berliner Sport Verein in Berlin; Heidelberg in Heidelberg; Mannheim; Bonn at Bonn against Essen in Essen and against Dusseldorf on 5th January.

The touring team: Nawab of Pataudi Sr.(Capt.), (Oxford); R Narain (Oxford); P C Sen (Oxford); V B Singh (Oxford); F H Masina (Cambridge); H C Badhwa (Cambridge); J S Bedi (Cambridge); M Qizilbash (Cambridge); K S Clihachhi (Cambridge); S Nazeer Ali (London); I S Paintal (London); H B Shahi (London); G B Singh (London); O P Kalsey (Bristol); A H Noon (Bristol) and P N Reddy (Leeds).

Hermits Hockey Club played regularly at the Folkestone international tournament in Easter.

It is pertinent to mention here about the other Indians who played both for their college and university and got the prestigious university colours. These include Calcutta’s Russell Afzal, a student at University College London (1921- 1926), played for his college and London University (LU) from 1922 to 1925. He was awarded his LU Colours (Purple) in 1923. C Little from Madras played for his college (Kings College London), went on to represent LU for two seasons, getting its colours in 1924. J Fernandes from Bombay was a student at University College London and represented LU (1928 – 1929) before getting his purple colours in 1929.

The early tours must have given Indian authorities enough confidence to take up hockey to a global competitive level which turned out to be epoch making in later years. If one were to assess Indian hockey’s glorious history, the pioneering tours cannot be overlooked.

Jai ho Jaipal Singh!

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