Political parties ignoring hockey stars: Olympians

Jalandhar, March 28
Olympians are unhappy with all national and regional political parties for ignoring hockey players as compared to cricketers.

Five cricketers including, Madan Lal (Congress candidate from Hamirpur in Himachal), Chetan Sharma (BSP, Faridabad in Haryana), Navjot Sidhu (BJP, Amritsar), Kirti Azad (BJP, Darbanga in Bihar), Mohammad Azharuddin (Congress, Muradabad in UP) are trying their luck in this Lok Sabha elections. Besides shooter Jaspal Rana, brother-in-law of BJP chief Rajnath Singh’s son is also in fray from Tehri in Uttrakhand.

Padma Shri DIG (retired) Balbir Singh, who represented India in 1964 and 1968 Olympics, told The Tribune that the political parties should have also fielded hockey players. If former cricketers and singers like Hans Raj Hans can be asked to contest, then why can’t hockey stars? According to him they too have brought laurels to the country by winning eight gold medals in Olympics in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980 respectively.

Arjuna Awardee Balbir Singh said had any political party approached him to contest in the upcoming LS polls, he would have done so.

Similar were the views of another Padma Shri Olympian Ajit Pal Singh, who was the captain of India in 1976 Olympics, 1971 and 1975 world cup.

Ajit Pal Singh expressed his anger that “Cricket was patronised by royal families earlier, nowadays politicians are patronising this game as compared to other sports, and this is clear that they field mostly cricketers in polls.”

Talking to The Tribune on phone from Delhi, Ajit Pal Singh, under whose captaincy Indian won the world cup in 1975, said had any party approached him, he would have fought the elections.

Olympian Colonel (retired) Balbir Singh said though he was not interested in politics, but he was of the view that the political parties should give tickets to those hockey players who were keen to contest.

Balbir Singh said all this showed how the national game was being given the step-motherly treatment.

Arjuna Awardee Olympian Jagjit Singh, who represented the country in 1964 Olympics, where India won gold medal, said he was annoyed with the political parties who only took care for cricketers and ignored other sportspersons.

The four hockey Olympians hail from Sansarpur village, popularly known as a nursery of hockey players as it has produced as many as 14 Olympians and a number of international players.

Balbir Singh and Jagjit Singh still reside at Sansarpur village near Jalandhar Cantonment, whereas, Col Balbir Singh and Ajit Pal Singh are residing in Jalandhar city and Delhi respectively.