Behind every successful sports team is a ferocious leader. A person who, in moments of doubt and distress, reminds their teammates to stay put and fight. The glorious Gold Medal-winning Indian Hockey team of the 1948 London Olympics had several such characters, one of them being Skipper Kishan Lal.
Nobody knew that the boy who was born in MP’s Mhow in 1917, would go on to captain the side that clinched Independent India’s first Olympic Gold Medal in 1948. So, today on India’s 13th National Sports Day, let’s look back at the player, coach, and personality – Kishan Lal.
An exceptional forward and a selfless team player!
Kishan Lal was hailed as an outstanding forward on the field during the 1948 Olympics. In fact, Lal is still considered to be one of the greatest wingers in field hockey. Alongside his fast-paced gameplay on the right, it was his leadership capabilities that stood out during India’s triumphant campaign.
Another thing that Kishan Lal received a lot of praise was how selfless he was as a player. Many of his teammates say that Kishan would often pass the ball to a teammate for an easy tap-in goal when he could have scored it himself. Like all good leaders, it was the team’s success that took priority over individual accolades for him.
For an illustrious career as a player that lasted 28 years, Kishan Lal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1966, by then President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Kishan Lal’s success story continued as a coach
As a coach, Kishan Lal often cut an animated figure on the touchline. Perhaps, he still wanted to make every pass and score every goal. However, Kishan Lal’s continued to write his success story as a coach, as well.
He served as the Chief Coach for the Railway Sports Control Board team for twenty years. During his tenure as the head-man, the team won a total of 14 national championships. His stature as a coach was acclaimed worldwide and he was offered to coach East Germany in 1968.
A reminder of India’s limitless hockey potential
It was a sad day for the global hockey fraternity when on June 22, 1980, Kishan Lal passed away. The world of hockey had lost one of the finest wingers to have ever played the game. On the next day, the ‘Dada’ of Indian Hockey was cremated at Bombay’s Sion Crematorium.
Alongside the immortal Dhyan Chand, Kishan Lal created history to bring home Independent India’s first Olympic Gold medal. In remembering his life and that of his teammates, we mustn’t forget their dream of settling for anything less than the top spot for Indian Hockey.
