K Arumugam | ENS
Chennai
KHASHABA Dadasaheb Jadhav won the Olympic bronze in 1952. The Government of India conferred him Arjuna 49 years later in 2001 — 13 years after his death in neglect. If this national blot is not enough, another one has just come up.

Roop Singh, whom his brother Dhyan Chand hailed as a better player than him, meets the same fate as that of Jadhav. He died in 1977.

Today marks his 100th birth anniversary – No one is talking about one of the the greatest hockey player India has ever produced. The historic occasion went unnoticed the same manner the genius’ role in giving hockey a legacy remained unchronicled.

Roop Singh still holds the individual record for maximum goals in an Olympic match – 12 – which came against USA at Los Angeles in 1932, five more than Dhyan Chand.

Roop dazzled better four years later at the Berlin Olympics. When the famed Indians were wilting under crowd pressure, failing to post even single goal till the 32nd minute in the final against Germany , Roop came to the team’s rescue. The jewel from Jhansi stepped in, for once gave up the habit of setting goals for others, instead scored on his own to break the deadlock.

This pepped up the Indians, led by Dhyan Chand. They went on to add another seven in the next session of play for their first hat-trick of Olympic gold.

At Los Angeles Olympics, Dhyan Chand’s words were vindicated when the score card read: Total goals of India: 35, Roop Singh: 15 Dhyan Chand: 11 Both the Government and the Indian Hockey Federation should have done something to commemorate his centenary . But neither did.

Surprisingly, when this writer brought the impending century to the notice of Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, MS Gill, two months ago, he shot back: “Only in India we bother about past. In the States, no visiting dignitary goes to George Washington’s grave”.

Dhyan Chand’s centenary was also ignored three years ago, leaving his son Ashok Kumar to organise a function at Jhansi in 2005. Ashok is now organising similar one at Gwalior where Roop Singh lived. Are Roop Singh and Dhyan Chand not public figures, only family affair?