Talent and skill are not enough to be a goalkeeper in any field sport. The position requires immense mental strength and unwavering focus, things that Leo Hillary Knowles Pinto had in abundance.
Born to a Portuguese family in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, Leo moved to Goa with his family, and then to Bombay at the age of 8. It was here that his destiny awaited him and so did the history books.
On India’s 13th National Sports Day, we celebrate Leo Pinto, the ever-reliable goalkeeper of the country’s star-studded hockey team that clinched the Gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics.
THE Player & a ‘goalkeeper who scored’
Twelver years prior to winning the Olympic Gold medal in 1948, Leo was all-but-certain to be part of India’s Hockey team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. But a serious concussion during one of the trial games ruled him out of contention.
The ‘mentality beast’ that Pinto was, getting disheartened was never on the cards. He practised and continued playing at the national and club level for 12 years, waiting for his Olympic opportunity. And it finally came his way in 1948, when he was selected as the goalie for India’s Hockey team for the Berlin Summer Olympics.
Alongside the likes of Kishan Lal and Lucknow’s KD Singh, Leo Pinto clinched the Gold Medal. During the games, Leo conceded just one goal and even scored one himself, bagging the rare title of being the ‘goalkeeper who scored’.
The Mentor
Pinto’s professional career had begun from Mumbai’s Aga Khan Hockey Tournaments and reached its pinnacle with the Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics. At his prime, Leo Pinto was considered to be one of the world’s best goalkeepers, thanks to his quick decision-making and mental fortitude.
It was these skills that he later tried instilled in countless aspiring Hockey players during his years as a Coach. In 1972, Pinto served in the committee that selected the Bronze-winning Indian Hockey team for the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The Dream
Leo Pinto’s life as a player and a coach leaves younger generations with a dream to chase. The dream of taking Indian Hockey back to where it belongs, at the very top.
Leo Pinto breathed his last on August 10, 2010, passing away at the age of 96 at his Mumbai home. The Indian Hockey Legend’s funeral was held at St. Francis D’Assisi Church in Bandra West.
