Balbir Singh Dosanjh, known as Balbir Singh Sr., was an Indian field hockey player who lived from 1924 to 2020, born in Haripur Khalsa, Punjab, widely regarded as the sport's greatest ever centre forward. He won three Olympic gold medals with India, at the 1948 London, 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Games, serving as vice captain in 1952 and captain in 1956, and set an Olympic final record by scoring five goals in India's 6-1 win over the Netherlands in 1952. Across his international career he scored 246 goals in 61 appearances, including 23 goals in just 8 Olympic matches, and in 1957 became the first sportsperson to receive the Padma Shri.
Facts
Career HighlightThree-time Olympic gold medalist with India (1948, 1952, 1956) 1 Classification
Competition Category FAQs
What Olympic record does Balbir Singh Sr. hold?
Five goals in the 1952 Olympic final against the Netherlands.
Balbir Singh Sr. holds the record for the most goals scored by an individual in an Olympic men's field hockey final. He scored five goals in India's 6-1 win over the Netherlands in the 1952 Helsinki final, and that mark has not been beaten. It came in a career of three Olympic gold medals with India, at the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Games, in which he scored 23 goals in just 8 Olympic matches. He was vice captain at Helsinki in 1952 and captain at Melbourne in 1956.
Connections
Competed In
Source Balbir Singh Sr., Wikipedia
Plays
Source Balbir Singh Sr., Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases
Nationality
Also in Geography Atlas: the nationality of this subject.
Source Balbir Singh Sr., WikipediaLead sentence 1Quote, Lead sentence 1
Balbir Singh Dosanjh (10 October 1924 – 25 May 2020) predominantly known as Balbir Singh Sr., was an Indian hockey player and coach.
Sources
1. Balbir Singh Sr., Wikipedia
Lead sentence, birth date
Balbir Singh Dosanjh (10 October 1924
Lead sentence, birth year
Balbir Singh Dosanjh (10 October 1924
Lead section, third paragraph, death date
Singh died in Mohali Fortes Hospital on 25 May 2020
Lead section, third paragraph, death year
Singh died in Mohali Fortes Hospital on 25 May 2020
Lead sentence, nationality
was an Indian hockey player and coach
Lead sentence, career
He was a three-time Olympic gold medalist
Wikipedia, article summary lead
, was an Indian hockey player and coach.
Competed In: Olympic Games, Article text
He was a three-time Olympic gold medalist, having played a key role in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) (as vice captain), and Melbourne (1956) (as captain) Olympics.
Plays: Field Hockey, Lead
Balbir Singh Dosanjh (10 October 1924-25 May 2020) predominantly known as Balbir Singh Sr., was an Indian hockey player and coach.
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