Hockey Olympian Major Shantaram Jadhav no more

A member of the Indian hockey team that won silver at the 1960 Olympics, Major Shantaram Jadhav, passed away in Pune on Sunday after prolonged illness. Jadhav, who played as a defender, was suffering from dementia and respiratory problems. He was on life-support since July 2. He was 83 and is survived by two sons and three daughters.

Born in Devrukh Village in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, Jadhav graduated from King George Royal Indian Military College, Ajmer, before joining the Indian Army. Jadhav served at the Maratha Light Infantry in Belgaum and was a prominent player for the Army and Services teams.

In fact, he was one of the vital cogs of the Services team that won the national championship twice in 1953 and 1955 under the leadership of the legendary Dhyan Chand. After he missed out of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Jadhav was selected for the national team’s tour to East Africa and Europe where he proved his mettle. His hard work paid rich dividends as he was picked up for the 1960 Rome Olympics. India had lost to Pakistan in the final 1-0.

“He used to draw crowds. His stick work and the understanding with midfielders, especially the centre half, was outstanding,” said Vasant Jadhav, a National Institute of Sports coach and his rival player from the Indian Air Force. “At times, he used to be a get rough on the field but he was a gentleman off it. It was his game which inspired me to take up the sport,” said Vasant.

Jadhav served the Indian Army for 30 years and won several domestic tournaments while playing for them, including the prestigious Beighton Cup in Kolkata and the Aga Khan Cup in Mumbai. He was among the other two players, Bandu Patil and Shankar Laxman from Maharashtra, who donned the Indian colours at the international arena during that period.