Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Friday recommended the name of “country’s greatest sporting icon ever in history” Balbir Singh (senior) for the nation’s highest civilian honour — the Bharat Ratna.
Badal, in a letter to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, apprised him that Balbir Singh, a legendary hockey star, is the only Indian to have been chosen by the International Olympic Association for the rate honour of featuring as one of the 16 greatest sportspersons of all times in the world since the start of the Olympic games.
“Apart from being a rare triple Olympic Gold Medalist, Balbir Singh has the rarest of rare honours of being the only player in the world to score five goals in an Olympic final of any team sport. This unique record, which features in the Guinness Book of World Records, has stood unchallenged by anyone in any sport since Balbir Singh created it 62 years ago in 1952,” said Badal.
Badal further mentioned that as if that was not enough, Balbir Singh led the Indian hockey team to its third successive Olympic gold, featuring in all three as a player also – 1948, 1952 and 1956.
He informed Modi that even after his playing days were over, Balbir Singh continued to render outstanding services for the nation’s glory, steering India as team manager to the country’s only World Cup triumph at Kuala lumpur in 1975.
“Balbir Singh has rendered outstanding services to the nation and to sports in many other capacities after this too, leading a revival of hockey in the country as an administrator, manager, coach and author,” read Badal’s letter to the Prime Minister.
It added, “Balbir Singh shines as a rare and most outstanding legend in his lifetime, and no other sportsperson in the country or for that matter from any other country has ever scaled the heights of Olympic glory as he has done.”
The demand for Bharat Ratna for the legendary hockey player gained momentum after Major Dhyan Chand’s name was finally nominated for the honour in August.
Balbir Singh (90), at that juncture, expressed that going by his achievements he too deserves the country’s highest civilian award and hoped to get the recognition in his lifetime. “If my records and achievements as a player, as a captain, as a coach, as a manager and as an administrator are taken into account, then one should get (Bharat Ratna). But I want to state here that it is either up to God or the prerogative of the Government… I hope to get and that too in my lifetime,” Balbir Singh, widely regarded as world’s greatest centre forward, had then stated.