Two recent deaths in Indian hockey, a double Olympic gold medallist and a team doctor
April 8, 2025
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K ARUMUGAM
Double Olympic gold medallist Raghubir Lal Sharma and 1975 World Cup winning team’s doctor Dr. Rajendra Kalra have passed away recently. Both hailed from Chandigarh.
Raghubir Lal, 95, an alumni of Mahindra College, Chandigarh, breathed his last in Delhi where he was living last five decades.
Dr Kalra, a top of physician from the Post Graduate Medical College, Chandigarh, was known for his service to the Indian hockey team that won the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur exactly 50 years ago. He was present at KL during the epochal victory and was hailed by the team for his devoted service to them.
Both has Chandigarh connection. Raghubir Lal, 95, a alumni of Mahindra College, Chandigarh breathed his last in Delhi where he was living last five decades.
We journalist met him at his Janakpuri residence 15 years ago. However, he has lost memory by then and was unwilling to discuss.
However, I had many lively interactions with him before. He was working with former IHF President Ashwini Kumar in his Export Office in Chitranjan Park, New Delhi. He always though wondered why was he sidelined for Indian camps and selection till joining Punjab Police! He served Punjab Police almost a decade before switching to Railway Protection Force.
He was an acclaimed forward of his times and won the Senior Nationals for the state of Punjab in 1955 after winning Silver twice before.
Dr Kalra was known for his service to the Indian hockey team that won the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur exactly 50 years ago. He was present at KL during the epochal victory and was hailed by the team for his devoted service to them. He died at Chandigarh yesterday. He was close friend of Balbir Singh Sr.
MARCH OF GLORY, a recent book on the 1975 World Cup triumph, attributes the team’s success to team’s fitness for which Dr. Kalra was hailed along with fitness expert with the team SS Gill.
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