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	{{Olympic medalists for India}}		{{Olympic medalists for India}}
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			{{India FH Squad 1968 Summer Olympics}}
	{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}		{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Prithipal}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Prithipal}}

Ajay Kumar: Created page with "{{short description|Indian field hockey player}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Prithipal Singh | ima..."

2021-07-30T04:36:02Z

Created page with "{{short description|Indian field hockey player}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Prithipal Singh | ima..."

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{{short description|Indian field hockey player}}
{{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Prithipal Singh
| image = Prithipal Singh 1960.jpg
| caption = Prithipal Singh at the 1960 Olympics
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1932|01|28}}
| birth_place = [[Nankana Sahib]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1983|05|20|1932|01|28}}
| death_place = [[Ludhiana]], [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], India
| height = {{convert|1.75|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|71|kg|lb|abbr=on}}
| nationality = Indian
| sport = [[Field hockey]]
| club = [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]]<ref name=sr>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235238/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/si/prithipal-singh-1.html Prithipal Singh]. sports-reference.com</ref>
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]}}
{{MedalSilver|[[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Rome]]| [[Field hockey at the 1960 Summer Olympics|Team Competition]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Tokyo]]| [[Field hockey at the 1964 Summer Olympics|Team Competition]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico]]| [[Field hockey at the 1968 Summer Olympics|Team Competition]]}}
}}

'''Prithipal Singh''' (28 January 1932 – 20 May 1983) was an Indian field hockey player nicknamed the “King of short corner” by hockey commentators.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He participated in the [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] field hockey three times and each time he scored the highest number of goals as a single player. Singh was a player with sharp reflexes, and the tremendous strength in his long and powerful arms produced firm and sticking shots which unfailingly fetched him goals and often the winners.<ref name="ReferenceA">Gandhi, S.S. (2001) "India's Highest Sports Awards and Those Who Won Them", ''Defence Review''.</ref> [[The Evening Post (New Zealand)|The Evening Post]], New Zealand commented in 1961 that to face the fury of Prithipal's hit is to risk one's life.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}} Another author commented that if [[Arjuna]] was the ''maharathi'' (great warrior) of the [[Kurukshetra war|Mahabharata war]], Prithipal was the ''maharathi'' of the International Hockey game.{{citation needed|date=February 2014}} The first-ever [[Arjuna Award]] to a hockey player was conferred upon him in 1961, which was later followed by the [[Padma Shri]] in 1967.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Singh won Olympic medals in [[Rome]] (1960 silver), [[Tokyo]] (1964 gold) and [[Mexico]] (1968 bronze).<ref name=sr/>

==Early life and education==
Singh was born on 28 January 1932 in the city of [[Nankana Sahib]], [[British India]] (now in [[Pakistan]]).<ref name="ReferenceB">Website: Sportal, [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports]], Hockey, Prithipal Singh.</ref> His father Sardar Wadhawa Singh Chandi was a school teacher as well as an agriculturist. Prithipal spent his childhood in the land of [[Guru Nanak]] and took his early education at Nankana Sahib. After the [[partition of India]], the family had to move to [[East Punjab]] and Prithipal completed his M.Sc degree (in agriculture) in 1956 from Agriculture College, [[Ludhiana]].<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Prithipal Singh was to teach there later when the college amalgamated into the newly created [[Punjab Agricultural University]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Singh also excelled in his studies and won merit scholarships for academic excellence. From 1950 to 1956, Prithipal represented Agricultural College Ludhiana Hockey team and was awarded "[[Honors student|roll of honors]]" for his all-round achievements in sports and education.

==Hockey career==
In 1950–54, Singh represented College Hockey team four times and he was selected the captain of the team in 1955. He participated in the various national hockey tournaments from [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] and won laurels in every match. After completion of his M.Sc in 1956, he joined [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] as an inspector and started playing for Punjab Police. In 1958, he played in [[Uganda]], [[Kenya]], [[Tanzania]] and [[Zanzibar]] as part of the [[India men's national field hockey team|Indian national field hockey team]]. In 1959, he participated in the Munich festival held in Germany where he was judged the best full back player in the world. That same year he toured the all the European countries.

During the [[1960 Summer Olympics|Rome Olympics]] held in [[Rome]] in 1960, Singh carried out two hat tricks in the matches against Denmark and the Netherlands. He remained the top scorer in the Olympics and was also judged the best full-back player. In the international hockey tournaments played in [[Ahmdabad]] in India, in the final match with Germany, Singh scored the clinching goals and thus defeated [[West Germany men's national field hockey team|West Germany]]. He represented Indian Wanderers Hockey in 1961 that toured New Zealand and Australia and participated in the [[1962 Asian Games]] held in [[Indonesia]]. He resigned from Punjab Police in 1963 and joined the [[Railway Protection Force|Indian Railways Police]] and started playing for their team. Within two years, he was awarded the [[Minister of Railways (India)|Railway Minister]]'s Medal for being the "Best Railway Sportsman".

Politics dictated the [[Indian Hockey Federation|IHF]] selection committee which excluded Singh from the Indian field hockey team in 1963. There was a loud uproar in the Indian press which protested in unison: "Has Prithipal become so bad [unwanted player] after resigning from the Punjab Police?”. The Indian Railway Police, however, began winning national tournaments.

While playing for Indian Railways, Singh won a vital link under the leadership of [[Charanjit Singh]]. He was included in the Indian field hockey team headed for the [[1964 Summer Olympics|Tokyo Olympics]] in 1964, which regained the Olympic title at Tokyo after defeating their arch-rival [[Pakistan men's national field hockey team|Pakistani team]]. Commenting on the performance of Indian team at [[Tokyo]], [[Melville de Mellow]] wrote: "All played brilliant hockey, but as always some were superb: Prithipal Singh, who scored 11 of India's 22 goals in the tournament will be remembered particularly for he was like the [[Rock of Gibraltar]]".<ref>{{Cite book|last=de Mellow|first=Melville|title=Story of the Olympics|chapter=Victory Among the Chrysanthemums|author-link=Melville de Mellow}}</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070629143111/http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/olympics/golden/1964.htm Tokyo, 1964]. www.bharatiyahockey.org</ref>

Singh participated at the [[1966 Asian Games]] held in [[Bangkok]] as a team member of the [[Shankar Laxman]] squad. This squad won the Gold Medal at the tournament. In 1967, Singh skippered India against the visiting [[Germany men's national field hockey team|German]] and [[Netherlands men's national field hockey team|Dutch]] teams. In the same year Singh captained the Indian team to [[Madrid]], Spain and won the tournament and the gold medal for India. In 1968, Singh was selected as the captain with [[Gurbux Singh|Gurbakash Singh]] as the joint captain for the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Olympics]] held in Mexico.<ref>''The Hindu'', 16 September 2000.</ref> At that tournament, India won the bronze medal, although Prithipal Singh again remained the top scorer in the Olympics.

===Tokyo Olympics===
{{Main|Field hockey at the 1964 Summer Olympics|Field hockey at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads}}
In the first half of the final match between India and Pakistan at the [[Tokyo Olympics 1964|Tokyo Olympics]], the scoreline was 0-0. In the 6th minute, of the second half, the thunderous penalty shot of Prithipal Singh was taken on foot by the Pakistani defender. [[Mohinder Pal Singh|Mohinder Pal]] scored from the resultant penalty stroke and India took the lead. In later half, the Pakistani team started resorting to a rough game and show of force to scare the Indian players in order to win the match. Around the middle of second half, there was a free wielding of hockey sticks. One Japanese newspaper published a picture on its front page showing one Pakistani player swinging his stick towards his Indian opponent. In the same picture, Singh was shown as holding one Pakistani player by the throat and striking his stick into his ankle with right hand. One Pakistani forward nicknamed 'Bola', who was notorious for his rough game and greatly feared by the European players, feared Singh and ceased approaching him. Pakistani player [[Munir Dar (field hockey)|Munir Dar]] shouted at 'Bola' urging him to be aggressive and neutralize the Indian goal, but 'Bola' is reported to have shot back at Munir Dar: "Can’t do it now man, your dad Prithipal is pitched ahead!". Thus, India defeated its rival and won the gold medal. Of India's total 22 goals scored in the Tokyo Olympics, Singh scored 11.<ref name="sr" /><ref name="ReferenceA" />

==Awards and recognition==
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2009}}
From 1950 to 1956, Singh represented Agricultural College Ludhiana Hockey team and was awarded the "[[Honors student|roll of honors]]” for his all-round achievements in sports and education in 1955. The Indian Government acknowledged his prominence in the field of Hockey and the first-ever [[Arjuna Award]] to a hockey player was conferred to him in 1961 by the Indian President, [[Rajendra Prasad]]. Sports writers for various newspapers and sports magazines described him as the all-time best full-back hockey player.

In 1963, Singh resigned from [[Punjab Police (India)|Punjab Police]] and joined the [[Railway Protection Force|Indian Railways Police]]. Indian Railway Police acknowledged his talent and performance in hockey field. Singh was awarded the [[Minister of Railways (India)|Railway Minister]]'s Medal in 1965 for being the "Best Railway Sportsman". He was awarded the [[Padma Shri]] in 1967 by the Indian President [[Zakir Hussain (politician)|Zakir Hussain]] for his meritorious contributions to world hockey.

==Other achievements==
Singh retired from active hockey after the [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico Olympics]]. For some time he was made chairman of IHF selection committee. In 1974, he was as an observer with the [[India men's national field hockey team|Indian hockey team]] to [[Malaysia]] to participate in the [[1975 Men's Hockey World Cup|Men's Hockey World Cup]]. The Indian team won the World Cup for India. Singh also was member of the [[National Institute of Sports|National Institute of Sports, Patiala]] and also member of the governing body of [[Lakshmibai College of Physical Education]], [[Gwalior]]. He was appointed the Director of Sports at the [[Punjab Agricultural University]] (PAU), Ludhiana as well as the Director of Student Welfare in 1968. He had actively participated in all activities relating to Student Welfare till his death in 1983. He was also the Director of Sports, PAU. Many believe that Singh coached the secrets of an iron grip and was the inspiration behind four times [[World Armwrestling Championship|World Armwrestling]] champion and two times World Martial Arts Breaking champion Jay Ranade, when he worked for Singh at the Punjab Agricultural University in weight lifting coaching.

==Death==
Singh was shot dead by [[Naxalite]] students in the campus of the [[Punjab Agricultural University]] on 20 May 1983 in [[Ludhiana]]. Others claim that he was shot by political rivals or by a deep conspiracy of hockey competitors as his murder remains unsolved.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==In popular culture==
''Prithipal Singh'' (2015) is an Indian [[Docudrama|docudrama film]] about his life and achievements by Babita Puri.<ref>{{Cite web|title=YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_tCngsqDK8|url-status=live|access-date=2021-06-16|website=}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110716070801/http://www.sikhhockeyolympians.com/Player%20Profiles/PrithipalSingh.html Prithipal Singh] at Sikh Hockey Olympians
*{{Olympedia}}
*{{Sports reference}}
{{Olympic medalists for India}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Prithipal}}
[[Category:1932 births]]
[[Category:1983 deaths]]
[[Category:Punjabi people]]
[[Category:Indian male field hockey players]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1962 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1966 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Field hockey players from Punjab, India]]
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[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
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[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
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[[Category:Medalists at the 1962 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1966 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1964 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Indian murder victims]]
[[Category:Deaths by firearm in India]]
[[Category:People murdered in Punjab, India]]
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[[Category:Unsolved crimes in India]]
[[Category:Unsolved murders in India]]

Prithipal Singh - Revision history

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Ajay Kumar: Created page with "{{short description|Indian field hockey player}} {{Use Indian English|date=April 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Prithipal Singh | ima..."