s2h team
Living legend octogenarian Gurbux Singh reminisces his long association with Indian hockey which is celebrating its 100th year. Bespectacled Gurbux won Olympic gold in 1964 and Asian Games crown two years later. He turned to coaching, umpiring, governance post his playing days.
The defender of fame was interviewed recently by Hockey India as it launches a month-long campaign leading up to the centenary celebrations on 7th November 2025, a day that marks 100 years of Indian hockey.
Gurbux wrote his Autobiography in 2018
Speaking of the significance of the centenary, Gurbux Singh, the oldest living legend of the sport at 89 years, expressed his absolute joy of being part of this rich, and most decorated sport in India.
“To complete 100 years and that too with this level of tremendous achievements at the world level, Indian hockey stands tall in the world of sport and this occasion surely needs to be celebrated in the most befitting manner. We as Indians ought to be proud of this legacy,” stated Gurbux, who was given a nickname as ‘professor’ by his Pakistani rivals for being the only player who played wearing spectacles.
Gurbux has contributed a large part of his life to the sport, having begun his career in 1955 as an aspiring player in his University in Gwalior. He trained under the great Roop Singh of Olympic fame and soon represented Madhya Bharath in 1956 before he made his India debut in 1959. He was part of the team that won the 1964 Tokyo Olympics gold medal.
“It is almost 65 years that I have been associated with the sport and I have lived my best life because of hockey. Personally, the 1964 Olympic gold followed by the 1966 Asian Games gold will always hold a special place in my heart. We regained the world title in 64′ by winning the gold as in those days there was no world cup, the team that won the Olympics would be known as world champions. We later won the Asian Games gold for the first time, beating Pakistan. That was very memorable,” he recalled.
Still going strong on the veteran’s circuit. Gurbux Singh on the right
When asked about the greatest rival in the sport over the past 100 years, Gurbux didn’t bat an eyelid to say – India Vs Pakistan! “No doubt that was the greatest rivalry of all-time. Before the partition, we played as one unit and after the partition, no European team came close to the rivalry we shared with Pakistan. The matches were fiercely fought by both teams,” he expressed.
“Personally speaking, there was never any animosity off the field between the two teams. Almost 13 out of the 18 players in Pakistan team were Punjabis who were directly affected by the partition. Mind you, we played the 1966 Asian Games just after the 1965 War. On the field, we saw them as an opponent whom we wanted to beat. I never had the feeling that we were playing Pakistan, but we always played like it was any other match that had to be won, and that is most important,” he concluded.
Speaking about the significance of hockey contribution that outlined the country’s immense potential on a global stage even before Independence, Gurbux Singh expressed, “The first hockey tournament held in India was the Beighton Cup in 1895. The National Hockey Association was formed in 1925 and India won the Olympic Gold in 1928, only in three years of forming the body. From then on, India won gold in 1932, 1936 and if the Games was held in 1940 and 1944 if not for WWII, we would have won two more gold medals. It was the Dhyanchand era and we totally dominated the world.”
Gurbux also pointed out that Britain didn’t field a hockey team until 1948 for the fear of, ‘losing to India’. “Hockey not only contributed to India’s sporting history but also to nationalism. The team’s performance was important to bring in a sense of oneness as a nation. British fielded a hockey team only in 1948 because they feared losing to India when they ruled us. And to beat them in their own backyard after we won Independence was one of the greatest moments in Indian history,” Gurbux explained.
The legend also recollected how Ali Dara was flown in for the final in Berlin Olympics to strengthen the squad. “Germany (a club side with most of their national team players) had beaten India in practice matches. When we were pitted against them in the final, Dara was flown in for that match. One must also understand, back then the federation didn’t have the money. So, to play the Olympics in Germany, about 35 people including members of royal families contributed from Rs 100 to Rs 500 each from across states like Bengal, Punjab, Bhopal, Mumbai etc to send the team to Germany via ship. They collected Rs 50,000 and in those days it was a very big amount.”
Adding to the sentiments of Gurbux Singh, Dr Dilip Tirkey, modern hockey legend who heads Hockey India as President expressed, “The younger generations must know and learn from the history of our sport and the significant impact the sport has on the world stage. It is our endeavour to relive these golden days through the centenary celebrations planned in November and today marks the 50-day countdown.”