KENYAN HOCKEY LEGENDS HONOURED IN LONDON

By SHAMLAL PURI, Senior Editor & Associate Publisher

Heroes of Kenya’s best years in international hockey were honoured in a glittering ceremony in London recently.

The event, at the Spencer Hockey Club in Tooting, London, was hosted by the Sikh Union, Nairobi. Several Olympic stars from Kenya’s golden hockey era attended, when the team was at the top of global hockey, collecting honours worldwide.

Twenty-seven outstanding Sikh Union veteran Olympians and World Cup players, living and those who had passed on, were honoured with a Certificate of Recognition.

The 1971 Sikh Union Club Nairobi Hockey tour of India, in which seven in this photo toured with the team.

Standing L-R: Perminder Singh Kalsi, Kulbir Singh Bhaura (Seoul 1988 Olympic Games Hockey Gold Medallist), Harvinderpal Singh Sibia, Amarjeet Singh Dhak.

Sitting L-R: Ranjit Singh Laly, Munai Bansal, Chairman, Centenary Celebration Committee of Sikh Union Nairobi, Davinder Singh Deegan, Surjit Singh Rihal, Harvinder Singh Marwa.

The Certificate of Recognition represents more than playing for Sikh Union and participating in the Olympic Games—it is a certificate of honour, signifying an athlete’s lifelong commitment to Sikh Union Club Nairobi, the Olympic values, and their role as ambassadors of sport worldwide.

Each recipient has left an indelible mark on their sport and communities, serving as role models for aspiring athletes and advocates for sport’s power to unite the world.

Honoured guests at the event were accompanied by their family and friends. Relatives of the heroes who had passed away over the years or were physically challenged were also attended.

The event was a testament to the enduring spirit of the Sikh Union Club Nairobi and the Olympic Games, and to the profound impact of its athletes on the world of sport and beyond.

In attendance to award the Certificates were veterans Manjinder Singh Bansal, affectionately known as Munai Bansal, Chairman of the Centenary Ceremony Committee, and Surjit Singh Rihal, also an Olympian and World Cup player, who hosted the function on behalf of Sikh Union Club Nairobi.

Guests observed a minute’s silence and offered a prayer in memory of all of Sikh Union Nairobi’s fallen Olympians. It was a poignant moment for the families of these heroes present at the event.

Mr Rihal invited everyone present to remember one of Kenya’s oldest Olympians, Reynold DeSouza, in their prayers, who had passed away in July. He had played in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics.

Mr Rihal also invited the guests to pray for Sarjit Singh of Malaysia, who passed away in August. Sarjit, who had attended the Sikh Union’s Centenary celebrations in May, had played in the 1984 and 1992 Olympics.

Everyone also remembered in their prayers the hundreds of people who had lost their lives in the tragic floods on 26 August in Nepal.

Munai Bansal, Chairman, Centenary Celebration Committee of Sikh Union Club Nairobi, presenting the Certificate of Recognition to Surjit Singh Rihal. Standing on the left is Kulbir Singh Bhaura (1988 Olympic Games Gold Medallist for Great Britain).

Surjit also reminded everyone to remember in their prayers the 11 Israeli Olympians who lost their lives 54 years ago on 6 September in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games massacre, an attack by the Palestinian militant organisation, Black September. A few Olympians present there that day were at the Olympic village at the time.

“The legacy and the indelible mark left by the Fallen Olympians upon our community will always be honoured, “ Mr Rihal noted.

The London event celebrated unforgettable milestones.

Among the honourees, several luminaries stood out for their extraordinary contributions to Sikh Union and the Olympic legacy:

• The oldest Olympian Honoured: The ceremony paid tribute to the oldest Olympian of Sikh Union among the recipients, Surjeet Singh Deol, who participated in Melbourne 1956 as the first captain of the Kenyan Olympic team and played in the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. He played for Sikh Union from the early 1940s till 1962. He will always be remembered as a true pioneer who broke barriers and continues to inspire generations with his enduring passion for sport. His son Ranjeev Singh Deol represented Canada in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games
• The oldest living Olympian Honoured: The ceremony paid tribute to the only living, oldest Olympian among the recipients, Joginder Singh Dhillon, who participated in Melbourne 1956. He joined the Sikh Union Club in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, because of his age and ill health, he could not attend.
• Celebrating the Greatest of All Time: Avtar Singh Sohal was inducted into the Kenyan Hall of Fame, being hailed as the “greatest of all time”, captivating the audience with his unmatched record of achievements and unwavering dedication to the discipline. Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968, and Munich 1972, he is one of three Kenyan Olympians to have played in four Olympics, captaining the team in the last three Olympics before becoming an International Umpire and FIH Coach in field hockey.​He played for Sikh Union from around 1957 till 1975, captaining the team for many years. He received his Certificate of Recognition from Sikh Union recently in Nairobi.
• Another Four-Time Olympic Participant: Surjeet Singh Panesar, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico 1968 and Munich 1972 – One of the three Olympians to have played in four Olympics; At the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, he became the first player to have played 31 matches, a record he held until 1988 when he was joined by Australia’s Richard Charlesworth. They both held this record until the London Olympic Games.

Another highlight was the recognition of an Olympian who competed in four Olympic Games, exemplifying resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence over decades. He played for Sikh Union from around 1957 to 1989 and captained the team in 1974/75.

. The most decorated Sikh hockey Olympian outside India, Kulbir Singh Bhaura, attended the function. He won a Bronze Medal in Los Angeles 1984 and a Gold Medal in Seoul 1988 Olympic Games while playing for Great Britain. He won a Silver Medal for England in the 1986 World Cup.

. Selected for the World XI team; Surjit Singh Rihal played in the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and was selected for the ‘World XI Team’. Captain of the Kenya team from 1973-1981. The Kenya Hockey Union named him the first ‘Hockey Player of the Year’ in 1976. He played for Sikh Union from 1969 till 1989 and captained the team in 1982/83.

• There are many more noteworthy Kenyan Olympians living as well as fallen from the list of recipients on this occasion. All of them have a legacy that will be remembered for generations to come.

The post KENYAN HOCKEY LEGENDS HONOURED IN LONDON appeared first on The Mt Kenya Times.