Kishan Lal
Encyclopedia
Kishan Lal was an India
n field hockey
player. He captained the Indian hockey team
in 1948, which won its first gold at the Olympics as an independent country, defeating Great Britain
in the final: 4-0. He was the greatest right winger in the history of hockey. He was instrumental in developing the Indian Railways hockey team as one of the best teams in India. A large number of players went on to play for India. He died on 22 June 1980 at Madras.
gave his pick of players for a greatest ever World XI hockey team, he placed Kishan Lal of India as his first choice as a right winger.
which he used to often watch longingly. It triggered the player in him and soon he won the admiration of the crowds when he started playing at the age of 14 yrs. In 1933 at the age of 16 he represented Mhow Heroes, Mhow Green Walls and also went on to play for Kalyanmal Mills, Indore
. He played along with Dhyan Chand
for Jhansi Heroes. In 1937 his talent caught the eye of the Maharaja of erstwhile Tikamgarh State and thereafter he was seen donned in the colors of the prestigious Bhagwant Club of Tikamgarh.
In the year 1941 he joined the then BB & CI Railway now known as Western Railway. He played for Central India in the National Hockey Championship. He continued to figure prominently in the winning teams at the Agha Khan Cup, Beighton Cup
, Obaidullah Khan Cup and the Scindia Cup Tournaments. Under his Captaincy the team won three times in a row.
Won : 5
Goals For : 25
Goals Against : 2
Kunwar Digvijay Singh (Babu) (vice captain)
Leslie Claudius
Walter D'Souza
Keshav Dutt
Lawrie Fernandes
Ranganathan Francis
Randhir Singh Gentle
Gerry Glacken
Akhtar Hussain
Patrick Jansen
Amir Kumar
Leo Pinto
Jaswant Singh Rajput
Latif-ur-Rehman
Reginald Rodrigues
Balbir Singh
Grahanandan Singh
Trilochan Singh
Maxie Vaz
After the victory, V. K. Krishna Menon, free India's first High Commissioner to England, gave an official reception at India House. The victorious Indian team went on a goodwill tour of the European mainland - visiting France, Czechoslovakia and Switzerland.
The team returned by ship to Bombay, where a red carpet welcome was given to the team. The victory celebrations culminated in Delhi, where President Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru attended a match involving the Olympic team at the jam packed National Stadium.
In 1964, he was invited to train Malaysia. In 1968, he was invited to coach East Germany. Even after retiring from Western Railway in 1976, he displayed great interest in the Railway Team and in the game. He was probably the only former Olympian who was a regular at Hockey Competitions.
The Western Railway players and officials and all other hockey players and hockey Associations all over the country gave the departed Hockey star the honors that was due to him in their own touching ways. On 23 June 1980, touching scenes were witnessed at his residence in Bombay as sportsmen, officials of various organizations and sports writers paid their last respects to him. He was cremated at the Sion Crematorium in Bombay. There was a regular flow of Sports fans since the 22nd June at his place where his body lay after being flown down from Madras. The most moving sight was that of the Muruguppa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament Secretary Mr K.R Subramaniam who accompanied the body from Madras To what extent Madras respected the former star was evident when Mr K R Subramanian and Mr Reddy laid the garlands on the body of the deceased. Mr K R Subramanian said about “Dada” that he was amongst the most respected sportsman in the country, that he was a regular invitee to the Murruguppa Tournament since the last 7years.
Former president of the IHF, MAM Ramaswamy expressed great shock and described him as one of the finest gentlemen he had come across. He said his death is a great loss to Indian Hockey, particularly as a coach and that he produced good players for the Railways. Former Olympian R S Gentle, on his death said ”besides being the greatest right winger I have ever seen, he was a gentleman player and a coach of outstanding merit”. Gurbux Singh, another Olympian said “Railways in particular have been orphaned”. Joe Antic said “there will never be another”. Similar sentiments were expressed by leading officials including the Bombay Hockey Association President, Mr Baptist D’Souza and the President of the Maharastra State Olympic Association, Mr Magan Singh.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
player. He captained the Indian hockey team
India national field hockey team
The India national field hockey team is the national men's team representing field hockey in India. It is the first non-European team to be a part of the International Hockey Federation....
in 1948, which won its first gold at the Olympics as an independent country, defeating Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
in the final: 4-0. He was the greatest right winger in the history of hockey. He was instrumental in developing the Indian Railways hockey team as one of the best teams in India. A large number of players went on to play for India. He died on 22 June 1980 at Madras.
Introduction
Kishan Lal was India’s captain of the hockey team to the 1948 Olympics at London. He was one of the greatest inside forwards in hockey He is known as the fastest player in wing position He would race down to the goal position once the ball was with him, a thorn in the eyes of the opponent and was a gentleman player. According to Gian Singh, “Many times, I would think he would score but invariable he would pass the ball to inside forwards or the centre forward to do the finishing touch”. When S S Naqvi, hockey coach in Oman and technical adviser with the Oman Olympic CommitteeOman Olympic Committee
Oman Olympic Committee is the National Olympic Committee representing Oman.- External links :*...
gave his pick of players for a greatest ever World XI hockey team, he placed Kishan Lal of India as his first choice as a right winger.
The beginning
He was born in Mhow. As a little child he was fascinated by games of poloPolo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
which he used to often watch longingly. It triggered the player in him and soon he won the admiration of the crowds when he started playing at the age of 14 yrs. In 1933 at the age of 16 he represented Mhow Heroes, Mhow Green Walls and also went on to play for Kalyanmal Mills, Indore
Indore
Indore is one of the major city in India, the largest city and commercial center of the state of Madhya Pradesh in central India. Indore is located 190 km west of the state capital Bhopal. According to the 2011 Indian census, Indore city has a population of 1,960,631...
. He played along with Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand ; born August 29, 1905 in Allahabad, United Provinces, British India. – Died:December 3, 1979), was an Indian field hockey player, regarded as one of the greatest field hockey players of all time...
for Jhansi Heroes. In 1937 his talent caught the eye of the Maharaja of erstwhile Tikamgarh State and thereafter he was seen donned in the colors of the prestigious Bhagwant Club of Tikamgarh.
In the year 1941 he joined the then BB & CI Railway now known as Western Railway. He played for Central India in the National Hockey Championship. He continued to figure prominently in the winning teams at the Agha Khan Cup, Beighton Cup
Beighton Cup
Beighton Cup is a field hockey tournament. Instituted in 1895, it is organised by Bengal Hockey Association and is usually held on the Mohun Bagan ground on the Maidan in Kolkata in India. The Beighton Cup was presented by T.D. Beighton, Legal Remembrancer of the Government of Bengal, and was run...
, Obaidullah Khan Cup and the Scindia Cup Tournaments. Under his Captaincy the team won three times in a row.
Indian Hockey Team
In 1947, he wore the Indian colors while being chosen second in command to Dhyan Chand on a tour of East Africa and in the following year earned the honor of captaining the Indian team to the Olympic Games at London. This particular Olympic Games was very important to the country. India had just got her Independence from the British after a very long and demanding struggle. The 1948 Olympics was being held in London itself and India had been partitioned to carve out Pakistan on account of which most of the talented players had migrated to Pakistan. The Indian Team for the London Games was an all new team without a single player with previous experience of the Olympics. However, this Team led by Kishan Lal, set aside all apprehensions when they beat Austria 8-0, Argentina 9-1, Spain 2-0, Holland 2-1 and in the finals, brought glory to India by beating Great Britain 4-0 in its own backyard and asserted its hockey supremacy to the world. It was a moment India will never forget. This victory had brought great honor to the country because India had for the first time participated in these Games as an independent nation and for the first time, the Indian Tri-Color was unfurled in the Olympic arena and National Anthem 'Jana, Gana, Mana' was played.India’s record at the 1948 Olympics
Played : 5Won : 5
Goals For : 25
Goals Against : 2
The heroes of 1948 Olympic Hockey Team
Kishan Lal(captain)Kunwar Digvijay Singh (Babu) (vice captain)
Leslie Claudius
Leslie Claudius
Leslie Walter Claudius was an Indian field hockey player, of Anglo-Indian descent. In 1971 he was awarded the Padma Shri...
Walter D'Souza
Walter D'Souza
Walter Luis de Sousa was an Indian field hockey player.Walter was born in M'bale in East Africa where his father worked for the British government...
Keshav Dutt
Keshav Dutt
1972 Munich Olympics Indian Olympic Hockey Team ManagerKeshav Chandra Dutt was a Indian field hockey player.-External links:*...
Lawrie Fernandes
Lawrie Fernandes
Lawrie Fernandes was an Indian hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:* * *...
Ranganathan Francis
Ranganathan Francis
Ranganathan Francis was an Indian hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics, in the 1952 Summer Olympics, and in the 1956 Summer Olympics.-External links:*...
Randhir Singh Gentle
Randhir Singh Gentle
Randhir Singh Gentle was an Indian field hockey player.-External links:*...
Gerry Glacken
Gerry Glacken
Gerry Glacken was a famous Indian hockey player who won a gold medal in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:*...
Akhtar Hussain
Akhtar Hussain
Akhtar Hussain may refer to:* Akhtar Hussain * Akhtar Hussain * Albela, Akhtar Hussain Albela, , Pakistani comedian*Akhtar Hussain Malik, general...
Patrick Jansen
Patrick Jansen
Patrick "Pat" Jansen was an Indian hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:**...
Amir Kumar
Amir Kumar
Amir Kumar was an Indian field hockey player who won a gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics and the 1956 Summer Olympics.-External links:*...
Leo Pinto
Leo Pinto
Leo Pinto was a field hockey goalkeeper from India , who won the gold medal with the Men's National Team at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He started his hockey career in Mumbai at the age of thirteen, when he played for the Byculla Rovers in the 1927 Aga Khan Hockey Tournament...
Jaswant Singh Rajput
Jaswant Singh Rajput
Jaswant Singh Rajput is a former Indian hockey player. He was part of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal in 1948 Summer Olympics at London.-References:...
Latif-ur-Rehman
Latif-ur-Rehman
Latif-ur-Rehman was a field hockey player, who won the gold medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics for India and the silver medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics for Pakistan.-External links:*...
Reginald Rodrigues
Reginald Rodrigues
Reginald Rodrigues was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:**...
Balbir Singh
Grahanandan Singh
Grahanandan Singh
Grahanandan Singh was an Indian field hockey player who won two gold medals, at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics respectively.-External links:*...
Trilochan Singh
Trilochan Singh
Trilochan Singh was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:**...
Maxie Vaz
Maxie Vaz
Maxie Vaz was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1948 Summer Olympics.-External links:* *...
Related anectode
The victorious captain Kishan Lal fulfilled a childhood boast when he dined with King George. As a schoolboy in Mhow, Kishan Lal had upbraided a sweets vendor for allowing flies to settle on his wares. The haughty hawker snapped back: 'Who do you think you are? The son of a nawab(King)? Do you dine with princes and rajahs?' Kishan retorted: 'Don't be so smart. One day, I'll dine with the King of England.' Kishan Lal, the finest outside-right that India has ever produced, did dine with the British monarch at a formal banquet.After the victory, V. K. Krishna Menon, free India's first High Commissioner to England, gave an official reception at India House. The victorious Indian team went on a goodwill tour of the European mainland - visiting France, Czechoslovakia and Switzerland.
The team returned by ship to Bombay, where a red carpet welcome was given to the team. The victory celebrations culminated in Delhi, where President Rajendra Prasad and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru attended a match involving the Olympic team at the jam packed National Stadium.
Coaching Days
After 28 years of continuous play, he retired from competitive hockey but remained connected with the game till 1976 as chief coach under the Railways Sports Control Board. Players like Balbir Singh, Harbinder Singh, Prithipal Singh and Mohinder Singh owe their stature in a big way to his grooming. His talent spotting was admired greatly.In 1964, he was invited to train Malaysia. In 1968, he was invited to coach East Germany. Even after retiring from Western Railway in 1976, he displayed great interest in the Railway Team and in the game. He was probably the only former Olympian who was a regular at Hockey Competitions.
Death
Hockey circles were plunged in grief when “Dada”, as he was fondly addressed, died on 22 June 1980. He was in Madras as an invitee for the Murruguppa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament and was to be the expert commentator for the Doordarshan coverage of the second leg final scheduled for the very day.The Western Railway players and officials and all other hockey players and hockey Associations all over the country gave the departed Hockey star the honors that was due to him in their own touching ways. On 23 June 1980, touching scenes were witnessed at his residence in Bombay as sportsmen, officials of various organizations and sports writers paid their last respects to him. He was cremated at the Sion Crematorium in Bombay. There was a regular flow of Sports fans since the 22nd June at his place where his body lay after being flown down from Madras. The most moving sight was that of the Muruguppa Gold Cup Hockey Tournament Secretary Mr K.R Subramaniam who accompanied the body from Madras To what extent Madras respected the former star was evident when Mr K R Subramanian and Mr Reddy laid the garlands on the body of the deceased. Mr K R Subramanian said about “Dada” that he was amongst the most respected sportsman in the country, that he was a regular invitee to the Murruguppa Tournament since the last 7years.
Former president of the IHF, MAM Ramaswamy expressed great shock and described him as one of the finest gentlemen he had come across. He said his death is a great loss to Indian Hockey, particularly as a coach and that he produced good players for the Railways. Former Olympian R S Gentle, on his death said ”besides being the greatest right winger I have ever seen, he was a gentleman player and a coach of outstanding merit”. Gurbux Singh, another Olympian said “Railways in particular have been orphaned”. Joe Antic said “there will never be another”. Similar sentiments were expressed by leading officials including the Bombay Hockey Association President, Mr Baptist D’Souza and the President of the Maharastra State Olympic Association, Mr Magan Singh.