Indian Express: Former Olympic hockey gold medallist Subedar Hardayal Singh passes away

Man Aman Singh Chhina

Former Olympic gold medallist Subedar Hardayal Singh (retd) passed away in Dehradun on Friday after a brief illness.

Former Olympic gold medallist Subedar Hardayal Singh (retd) passed away in Dehradun on Friday after a brief illness. Hardayal Singh played for India at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics as an inside forward when the team won the gold medal after defeating Pakistan.

Subedar Hardayal Singh joined the Sikh Regiment in 1949 and was assigned to the1st Battalion. Former Sikh Regiment officer, Brig IS Gakhal (retd), who is well versed with regimental history recalled that Hardayal spent almost his entire military service with the Sikh Regiment Hockey team, first as a player and later as coach-cum-manager.

“Subedar Hardayal Singh served with the Sikh Regimental hockey team till he took premature retirement in 1969 to tend to his wife who was ill,” said Brig Gakhal.

Hardayal Singh also coached the Indian hockey team after retiring from the Army and was awarded ‘Dhyan Chand Award’ for his lifetime contribution to hockey.