Times of India: Former Railways hockey star Huggins passes away

By Prasad RS

CHENNAI: Charles Huggins, who donned the jersey for Tamil Nadu and Railways in the national hockey championships way back in the 60s and 70s and was an intrepid goalkeeper passed away peacefully at a city hospital after a brief illness on July 21. He was 74 and leaves behind his wife Lorena, two sons and a daughter. The funeral service will be held on Saturday at St Patrick’s church at St Thomas Mount.

Huggins, who represented ICF in the senior division league, first played for Madras in the nationals in 1960. Huggins joined ICF in the year 1962 and from 1964 to 1970 — was the goalkeeper of the Indian Railways team in national championship. Huggins was born in Calcutta and hailed from a large family of hockey players. Huggins will always be remembered for having given Indian women’s hockey an excellent centre forward in his daughter Phyllis.

Interestingly, Huggins, a St Thomas Mount resident, took to the sport by chance. Huggins was part of the Olympic camp in 1974 in preparation for the Munich Olympics. “I had to leave because my son was unwell and I chose family over sport,” Huggins had said in an earlier interview with TOI. “The great thing about this game is that it has a sense of community about it. I don’t see schools doing anything to encourage children to take pride in this game,” lamented the retired Section Engineer from the ICF.

Huggins will always be remembered for his never-say-die attitude and grittiness — a trait that made him an enduring figure on the hockey field.