Unified Punjab connection: A legacy carried across generations  

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“Dhyan Chand was India’s first sports hero, and because he spent significant time in the Punjab Province, the people of Punjab have a special bond with him,” said Col. Balbir Singh, a bronze medalist in the 1968 Olympics. “He was a role model for many Olympians from Punjab, including those from the region that now falls in Pakistan. Brigadier Manzoor Hussain Atif, himself a legendary hockey player from Pakistan who played in four Olympics (1952, 1956, 1960, 1964), winning one gold & two silver medals, was proud to have commanded the 14th Punjab Regiment in the Pakistan Army as a Lt. Colonel. He always took pride in telling people and his colleagues in the army and sports circles that he had commanded a battalion in which the hockey legend Dhyan Chand had served before Partition. I met him in Harare in 1997, and he shared the same story with me,” added Col. Balbir, whose father, Gajjan Singh Kular, was also in the army and had the opportunity to play with Dhyan Chand.

“Dhyan Chand was such a legendary figure that for the people of Punjab, where hockey has held a special significance since the pre-Independence era, the opportunity to play with him, whether in national tournaments, army competitions, or even just in practice, was a cherished experience that remained a prized possession forever. Dhyan Chand was such a humble personality that he would remember the players he had played with, even at the domestic level or during his army days. My father, Darbara Singh, who was in the Army, had played alongside Dhyan Chand. Later, during my youth, whenever I met him, he would always inquire about my father. This made me feel proud that my father had played with the legend whose stories we grew up listening to,” recalled 1972 Munich Olympic bronze medalist Mukhbain Singh, who was born in Village Shatab Garh in Sialkot, now in Pakistan. After Partition, his family shifted to Gurdaspur.

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https://www.pixstory.com/story/when-indian-hockey-team-sign-autographs-to-raise-money-for-earthquake-victims1724942695/326505

Also Read in BBC Punjabi

https://www.bbc.com/punjabi/articles/c80e11m0km3o