Talk:Prithipal Singh

Prithipal: Singh Basic Information

Born 28.1.1932, Nankana Sahib, Punjab

School/University Nankana Sahib, Punjab Agricculture College Ludhiana, (later Punjab Agriculture University)

Profession Police Officer, Punjab Police; Director of Student Welfare, PAU Ludhiana

Club(s) Punjab Police; Punjab,

Playing Position Full back

First International 1958

Last International 1968

International Caps --One Gold Medal, One Silver Medal, One Bronz Mewdal

Goals scored --?

Hockey Idol --?

Awards

“Roll of Honors” for his all-round achievements in sports and education in 1955.

Arjuna Award by the Indian President 1960.

Padma Shri in 1967 by the Indian President Dr Zakir Hussain.

Membership: Prithipal Singh was member of the National Institute of Sports Patiala , Member of the governing body of Lakshami Bai College of Physical Education Gwalior. He was Director of Student Welfare in Agricultural University Ludhiana.

Prithipal Singh...OUTLINES

Prithipal Singh represented India at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games, winning Silver; at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics winning Gold and at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where he was Joint Captain, winning Bronze.

Prithipal Singh had a quick rise to fame. He first came into limelight in 1957 when he was selected to represent Punjab in the National Hockey Championship in Bombay as a full back.

In 1958 he was included in the Indian Hockey Federation team which toured the country.

Early in 1959 he made his first trip abroad when he played for the Indian Hockey Federation in East Africa.

The same year he travelled to Europe as a member of the I.H.F. team which participated in the Munich Festival. Prithipal Singh

He represented India at the Jakarta Asian Games in 1962.

Prithipal Singh left Punjab Police in 1963 to join the Railways and within two years was awarded the Railway Minister’s Medal for being the Best Railway Sportsman.

He helped India win the Olympic title at the Tokyo Games in 1964 scoring ten of India's twenty two goals from short corner hits.

He was of the Indian team which won the Asian title at the Bangkok Games in 1966.

He captained India in the Madrid Hockey Festival in 1967 and also against the visiting East German team the same year.

He later became the Deputy Director of Youth Welfare in the Agricultural University at Ludhiana.

He was awarded the Indian National Award ‘Arjuna Puraskar’ in 1961.

He was awarded the Indian National Award, ‘Padma Shri’ in 1967.

Prithipal Singh, a penalty corner specialist, was a player with powerful wrists and sharp reflexes. He produced the stiffest and stinging shots which mostly fetched goals, often winners.

His physical assets could match any aggressor. All these qualities made him an outstanding player.

Prithipal scored twenty two goals at the three Olympic Games that he played in.

He captained India against the visiting German and Dutch teams in 1967 and the same year led an Indian team to Madrid.

He was Joint Captain, along with Gurbux Singh, for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico.

Prithipal Singh graduated from Government Agricultural College, Ludhiana, in 1956. He went on to teach there later when the College was amalgamated into the newly created Punjab Agriculture University.

He later became the Deputy Director of Youth Welfare at the University.

Prithipal Singh was assissinated by his own student in the campus of the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, on 20 May 1982. Link: [1]

Prithipal Singh Web Links

Prithipal Singh was born on 28 January 1932 in the historic Sikh city of Nankana Sahib (Now in Pakistan). Prithipal Singh was considered as the Penalty corner specialist. Powerful wrists and sharp reflexes were the attributes of Prithipal Singh as a player. The firmest and sticking shots produced by him were mostly helped to fetch goals, often winners. His physical assets could match any confident assertive person who acts as instigator. All these qualities in a combined manner made him a spectacular player. Acknowledging his prominence in the field of Hockey, first-ever Arjuna Award to a hockey player was conferred to him in the year 1961, followed by the Padma Shri in the year 1967.

Prithipal has played for the teams of Punjab University, Punjab Police, Punjab State, Indian Railways and finally for India. In the year 1957, when he was included in the Punjab team for the Na Hockey Championship held in Bombay, his rise to fame came forth. In the very next year, he was selected in Indian Hockey Federation team that toured the country. Prithipal Singh was also included in the IHF team that went to play in East Africa and toured Europe during 1959. In the Munich festival, he has also participated.

This kind of international exposure is very much helpful for any field hockey player at that time. So Prithipal Singh was also benefited by this exposure. Afterward for the 1960 Olympics held in Rome he was the natural choice. Prithipal`s performance in the tournament excelled in its every sense. In the 1962 Asian Games held in Jakarta, he later represented India. In the year 1963, Prithipal Singh left Punjab Police to join the Railways and within two years, for being the Best Railway Sportsman, he was awarded the Railway Minister`s Medal. In the Indian team, he won a vital link under the leadership of Charanjit Singh. This Indian National team regained the Olympic title in the year 1964 held at Tokyo. He has also participated at Asian Games held in Bangkok as a team member of the Shankar Laxman squad. This squad won the Gold Medal at the tournament. In the three Olympics, in which he participated, Prithipal scored the biggest number of goals as a single player. In his time, he was being regarded as the world`s best full-back. During the 1960 Olympics, in the matches against Denmark and Holland, he carried out hat tricks. And he scored 11 of India`s 22 goals during the 1964 Olympics.

In the year 1967, he captained India against the visiting German and Dutch teams. In the same year Prithipal Singh led an Indian team to Madrid. He was selected as the Joint Captain with Gurbux Singh, for the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico. At that tournament, India won a Bronze. In the year 1956, from Government Agriculture College, Ludhiana, Prithipal Singh did his M,Sc, (Agri). In the later days, when the College combined into the newly created Punjab Agriculture University, he started teaching there.. In the year of 1983, he was shot dead by one of his own student in the campus of the Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana (www.indianetzone.com/10/prithipal_singh.htm). Also See the Link: [2].

Hockey-Olympics at Sports- Statistics (Prithipal Singh)

Prithipal Singh [3]