Govt to honour 1975 Hockey World Cup winners tomorrow

After Hockey India celebrated the 50th anniversary of 1975 Hockey World Cup in New Delhi, the Punjab Government is also going to felicitate players in a state-level function, who played and registered a historical win during the 1975 Hockey World Cup.

The Sports Department will hold the event under the supervision CM Bhagwant Mann on March 27 in Chandigarh. Four players of the 1975 team belonged to Jalandhar.

Sons of the hockey Olympian Varinder Singh (who died three years ago) will attend the event. Gurpreet Singh, elder son of Varinder, said the government school at Varinder's native village Dhanowali should be named after his father.

"We have been taking up this matter for the last two years. Now that the government is going to hold the event, we are thankful to it and also want that the government should name the school after my father's name," Gurpreet Singh added.

Varinder played in the 1975 World Cup, the year when Indian hockey team beat Pakistan and won the historic gold medal. Along with Varinder Singh, Olympians Onkar Singh, Ajit Pal Singh (captain of the Indian hockey team in 1975) and Mohinder Munshi, who originally belonged to Jalandhar, were all part of the team that performed with brilliance. The World Cup was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

While Onkar Singh and Ajit Pal Singh are residing in Mumbai and Delhi, Varinder and Mohinder Munshi are no more.

Satta Satpal, the brother of Munshi said his brother who died at a very young age of 24 must be given Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award. "I am thankful to the state government as they are going to hold the grand event. I also wish that my brother should be given the award for his achievements at such young age," he said.