A 100-year-old legacy: Remembering Dalip Singh, first Olympian from Punjab - 1924 Paris Olympics

Part 1 of 10 part series - 1/10

By Saurabh Duggal

Chandigarh: Brigadier Dalip Singh Grewal used to proudly tell his granddaughters that “history is written on his legs” when the little girls pointed out the marks of tiny punctures on his legs. And why not? His legs depict history. It was those legs that had scripted history in the annals of Indian sports and the army. The late Dalip Singh had the distinction of representing India in two Olympics (1924 & 1928), lighting the flame of the inaugural Asian Games, nurturing Olympians, and achieving many firsts. He was awarded the MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for his actions in World War II.

“During the action in World War II, our grandfather, then Major Dalip Singh, got splinters in his legs. As kids, when we asked him why he wouldn't get them plucked out, he used to tell us that history is written on his legs, and he didn't want to erase it. Moreover, he believed that the foundation of an athlete made his legs stronger, so the splinters wouldn’t cause him pain,” recalled Hareena Gill, 61, Dalip Singh’s second granddaughter.

“Our baba ji (referring to Dalip Singh), competed in the Olympics 100 years ago, which is a great honor for our family. That was a time when only a handful got the opportunity to represent the country at the global level, and traveling abroad was a rare sight. We have grown up listening to the tales of the Paris and Amsterdam Games. In our family, whenever we interacted with our grandfather or father, hockey Olympic gold medalist Balkrishan Singh, the discussion used to revolve around sports,” added Hareena.

Dalip Singh was an all-round sportsman, competed at the Olympics in athletics, played hockey for Patiala Tigers, which was quite a popular team in the circuit at that time, and played cricket, representing the Sikhs in the Quadrangular tournament – a tournament played during the colonial times where teams were formed based on communities/religions – in Lahore in 1927.

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https://www.pixstory.com/story/1924-paris-olympics-first-from-punjab-to-compete-in-the-olympics1718517627/319042