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Part 5 of 10 part series-5/10
Legends in their own right – Olympians Dalip Singh and Balkrishan Singh
(Saurabh Duggal)
“Our grandfather and father were legends in their own right, and because of them, we grew up interacting with other sports icons. In 1961, when the National Institute of Sports (NIS) was established in Patiala, legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand assumed the role of chief coach. My father Balkrishan completed his coaching diploma under him and later joined NIS as faculty. Since Dhyan Chand and Dalip Singh were part of the 1928 Olympic contingent, it became a routine for Dhyan Chand to visit our grandfather. They often listened to sports commentary on the radio together. We were so close to Dhyan Chand that we called him 'dada' (grandfather), and he even named my youngest sister Meenu, who was born in 1968 and currently settled in New Zealand.”
“Due to the army connection, Milkha Singh was close to my grandfather, and sometimes he trained with my father Balkrishan, who, along with Milkha, was part of the Indian contingent at the 1956 and 1960 Olympics. Sometimes, I feel saddened that our children couldn’t meet their great-grandfather Dalip Singh, as he passed away on May 12, 1975.”
Dalip Singh's three granddaughters, Intu, Hareena, and Meenu, have represented Punjab at the national level in lawn tennis.
“I was good at athletics and had even won the best athlete award during my time at school (YPS – Yadavindra Public School, Patiala). I was also a proficient swimmer. However, as we grew older, around nine years old, my family directed me away from swimming. It seems that my father and grandfather didn’t want the girls in our family to pursue athletics, so we were encouraged to take up lawn tennis instead. All three of us represented Punjab at the national level and achieved success in the national women's sports festivals. But I have some regrets; had I been given the opportunity to pursue a career in athletics, I would have followed in my grandfather’s footsteps,” shared Intu. Her son, Balpreet Ghuman, has represented India in golf and currently works as a horticulturist.
Continued...
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