Part 3 of 10 part series - 3/10

Punjab's first Olympian Brigadier Dalip Singh’s legacy: Torchbearer of the First Asian Games

(Saurabh Duggal)

Following Independence in 1948, the Patiala State Forces merged into the Indian Army, and Brigadier Dalip Singh’s parent regiment, First Patiala, was reconstituted as 15 Punjab.

As a serving Brigadier in the Indian Army, Dalip Singh had the honor of carrying the torch for the first Asian Games to the National Stadium in New Delhi. He completed a lap of the cinder track, ascended 52 steps (reflecting his age at the time), and ignited the flame for the inaugural edition of the continental games held in March 1951 – a proclamation of the newly independent nation's commitment to sports.

“Though we weren't born at the time of the first Asian Games, our father, the late Balkrishan Singh, used to recount that when Brigadier Dalip Singh entered the National Stadium with the Asian Games torch, the entire arena erupted in thunderous applause, and spectators rose to give him a standing ovation. I still get goosebumps imagining the scene. It's hard to fathom the electrifying moment it must have been for an athlete to receive such a prestigious honor,” shared eldest granddaughter Intu Ghuman, 64.

Continued...

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https://www.pixstory.com/story/indias-first-father-son-olympian-dalip-singh-and-his-son-balkrish1718526784/319047