K. ARUMUGAM & ERROL D’CRUZ

Viewed from a historical perspective, Ajinder Kaur led India’s women’s hockey team to a monumental victory.  It happened at the Women’s Hockey World Cup in Mandelieu, France, in 1974. Fighting to remain in the competition, India beat a team no less redoubtable than The Netherlands 1-0 to not only make the semi-finals but also top the pool.

Ajinder Gurcharan Saini

The Dutch, however, went on to win the World Cup – their first of eight titles – which makes the Indian victory all the more striking. Sadly, the team fell to Argentina in the semi-finals, eventually finishing fourth after losing to (West) Germany 0-2 in the bronze medal playoff. It still is the best finish by an Indian women’s team at the World Cup. On reflection it was an achievement against all odds and attitudes.

Ajinder, 69, and now settled in Derby, England, goes down memory lane. A sturdy full-back and penalty corner striker in her time, she looks back to the tournament almost half a century later: “It was the most memorable moment in my hockey career. I was the captain of India at the first Women’s World Cup where we secured fourth position. Holland (The Netherlands) were the winners but we defeated them in the pool which we topped.

That epic win over the Dutch and the creditable finish at Mandeliu grows in significance when viewed in perspective. Women’s hockey was as popular as men’s in the 1970s. Both had distinct identities with separate organizations, tournaments and virtually all else. This, despite the fact that the women’s sport was not in the Olympics not even in the Asian Games and wasn’t done any favours by history.

Captain Ajinder receiving a trophy on the foreign soils

Ajinder, and stick-wielders of her ilk, carved a niche for themselves, stood as tall as the men and could be counted as the protagonists of the game. Ajinder starred in another campaign – the 1975 Begum Rasool Cup in Chennai (parallel to the Rene Frank for the men) where the Indian women also took the top podium.

Old-timers would agree that Indian women’s hockey met with reasonable success because it had produced many shining stars. A prime example was Ajinder — a crowd puller, match-winner and above all a stylist. One who had a fairy tale kind of rise in the sport illustrated by her playing for India before doing so for her state Punjab. Even as the influence of the Anglo-Indian factor was almost on the wane and the likes of the Britto sisters were wearing out in the decade, a matching pool of talent rose on the horizon.

Ajinder Kaur in her teens:  The daughter of India brought many laurels for the country

When most Punjab players’ inclusion in the men’s national team created a furore or at best controversy, the opposite was happening on the women’s front. Half of their team was full of player from the region, yet no one dared to point a finger. All because theirs was on pure merit a popular demand. And riding the crest of popularity was Ajinder Kaur. Stout-hearted and athletic, the defender was the face of the women’s hockey in her times.

She flashes back to Mandelieu: “We went into the match (against The Netherlands) with the aim to win, come what may. We then achieved the highest finish of No. 4 at the World Cup for an Indian team and still hold this record for 47 years. However, I sincerely hope it will be broken,” Ajinder says.

The tournament started badly for Ajinder and her team. A 0-2 defeat in their opener against Belgium meant they had to do much catching up.

“The 1974 World Cup was a whole new experience in a different sort of atmosphere and was the first big event for most of the girls. I remember the words of our coach Mr Balkishen Singh after we lost to Belgium. He told us, ‘One defeat does not mean anything.’ He then went on to motivate and encourage us to put in all efforts to win. Of course, it was disappointing to lose in the semi-finals to Argentina and I still can’t work out why we lost,” Ajinder says, going down memory lane.

Historic 1974 World Cup team: Sitting (l-r): Rekha, Parminder, Geeta, Ajinder (captain), Avinash, Rupa, Kanwaljt. Standing (l-r): Kartar Singh, Kiran, Lorren, ?, Neena, Rajani, Mridula, Nimmy, Otilla.

Ajinder made her international debut in 1967 and donned the country’s colours for 11 years, retiring after the 1978 World Cup. One of nine children born to Nand Singh and Satwant Kaur, she was the only one who showed an inclination towards playing a sport. When she was selected to play for India she was ecstatic but there were also concerns about her parents’ acceptance of the prospect of travelling to distant lands.

“Obviously I was overjoyed when I got selected for the country as I played for India before playing for my state Punjab. I learned of my selection at the Shivaji Stadium, Delhi.

A lighter moment: Ajinder Kaur with her team mates

“In the beginning, my parents were in a dilemma as they were concerned about their daughter travelling and playing in different parts of the country and world.“My father would want to get it in writing from the manager and coach that if something goes wrong for his daughter, they would be held responsible. But after sometime when I got the name and fame in print (the only form of media in those days) they started liking it and then there was no looking back after that!”

After the first World Cup, Ajinder was a member of the 1975 Begum Rasool tournament winning team and also travelled to the 1978 World Cup in Madrid.

Once hooked on the game, she needed no motivation. “Hockey was my passion and I devoted long hours in practice. I would make it a point to be on the ground at dawn and spend hours to achieve perfection. I wouldn’t care even for sleep. In rainy weather, we would dribble in college Verandas. It demanded so much hard work which is difficult to explain in words,” Ajinder says.

But how did it all start? Ajinder explains: “Mr Gurcharan Singh Bodhi, one of the most famous coaches in India, had the greatest influence in making me a hockey player. He started his training centre in my school (Nehru Garden Higher Secondary School, Jalandhar). I was a Class IX student at the time, hockey was a new thing for me but I got interested in the game and started playing.

“Whatever I am today is because of Mr Bodhi. He was a gem of a person and I treated him like my father. He not only helped me in shaping my hockey career but also helped me financially when it came to my studies. Mr Bodhi treated all his trainees like a father. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his daughter was a trainee too.”

The colourful career of Ajinder Kaur  will enthuse any hockey connoisseur

Another man behind her success is none other than her husband, Bodhi’s namesake, Dr Gurcharan Singh Saini, an ENT Surgeon. “I would like to make a special mention of him. He has looked after me so well and he made sure that I did not miss out on any occasion, be it going for selection, playing or organising a hockey event. He would always respond positively and would drive me hundreds of miles to reach venues. When we were in Chandigarh, he would drive me to Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and other centres even at the cost of his own work. God bless him!”

Adorable Ajinder Kaur being introduced to a guest by her coach and mentor GS Bodhi before a match

Ajinder’s gratitude for her husband’s sacrifice however brings to mind her only disappointment when it came to her hockey career. “The most disappointing moment was going to Indian camps and international tournaments, taking leave without pay from my job,” she laments, expressing hope it wasn’t the case nowadays.

Ajinder knew the tasks and responsibility of captaincy. “As a captain, I had to watch the interest of all teammates, boost their morale and keep the players united,” she says.

A mother of three (sons Mandeep and Randeep and daughter Hardeep), Ajinder’s achievements on the hockey pitch were roundly appreciated by her children, she says, fondly.

She supplemented her contribution to the national team by coaching and eventually played a role in the selection committee. Ajinder holds a doctorate in Physical Education and a diploma in Hockey from the prestigious NIS, Patiala. Her tutelage, when employed by the Punjab Education Department, produced as many as 10 women players, one of them the iconic Rajbir Kaur who went on to win the Arjuna Award.

Ajinder is an Arjuna awardee herself having been conferred the honour in 1974. Her sparkling credentials brought her a lost list of other honours – notably the Maharaja Ranjit Singh award, among the most prestigious in Punjab.

Ajinder and her team have always been ambassadors for their country

Indeed, the state of Punjab owes much to Ajinder who was a key member in nine triumphs in the National championship. She won the Punjab state award in 1994, the Nishane-Khalsa Award at Anandpur Sahib in 1999 and the Mata Sahib award on the tercentenary birth anniversary of the Khalsa and many more.

In hockey terms, it’s plain to see that Ajinder was the lioness of Punjab, her stout-heartedness from campaigns with the national team holding her in good stead.

She makes no secret of her desire to see history re-written. Rani Rampal’s girls came close to emulating Ajinder’s squad in the 2018 World Cup in London, losing their quarter-final against Ireland (eventual finalists) agonizingly in the tie-breaker.

Captain Ajinder with her coach SAS Naqvi, 1978 World Cup

“I am sure the girls (India team) are doing well,” she says. “They should work hard with all sincerity and put in all efforts to achieve perfection in the game with the single motto of winning gold for India at the Olympics, Asian Games and World Cups.

“I will be the happiest person on earth the day we win. Good luck girls!”

As the 2020 Tokyo Olympics beckon, Ajinder’s words and the spirit of 1974 may just be the tonic for Rani’s squad embarking on an arduous campaign.

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www.stick2hockey.com is India’s oldest hockey website. Launched in 1999, the website, edited and owned by hockey historian and author K. ARUMUGAM, has covered all major tournaments and events with precision. www.stick2hockey.com is the first site in the hockey world to bring viewers live text commentary and duly entered the prestigious Limca Book of Records. If vintage stories are what you are looking for, this site is the right one for you. You will also find pictures, some of them among the rarest, images of precious newspaper clippings, match reports, news breaks, interviews, features, statistics and history on a site respected by one and all in the hockey world.