Mohinder Munshi hockey tourney to mark its silver jubilee on Nov 27

The 25th edition of the Olympian Mohinder Munshi Hockey Tournament will commence in Jalandhar from November 27, marking the silver jubilee of the event held in memory of late Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi.

Hockey Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi, a native of Nangal Ambian village, was an exceptional player whose promising career was cut short when jaundice claimed his life in 1977 at the age of 24. His brother, admirers and fellow hockey stalwarts have since worked to keep his legacy alive through this annual tournament.

The event has been organised for the past 24 years by Munshi’s younger brother Satpal Singh, along with hockey legends — Olympian and Dhyan Chand Award recipient Davinder Singh Garcha and international player Daljit Singh.

Garcha, who once played alongside Munshi, said, “The motive is to produce more Mohinder Munshis. We want the young generation to know and learn about the great man and player he was. The nation lost one of its great players very early on. He had immense potential.” As many as 12 under-19 boys’ teams participate in the tournament each year.

Now 66, Satpal Singh was barely 17 when his brother passed away. Recalling fond memories, he said, “His strength was always unbeatable. He was a man with a big heart. When he would get diet from the department, he would give it to other needy people.”

Their father, Munshi Ram, worked as a peon at Doaba Khalsa Senior Secondary School, where Mohinder studied. It was on this school ground that his journey in hockey began. In 1970, he joined the Punjab Police and went on to represent India in the Asian Games, the 1975 World Championship held in Malaysia, and the 1976 Olympics, winning medals for the country.

“But as he was climbing the ladder of success, tragedy struck, and we lost him a year later in September 1977,” said an emotional Satpal. He expressed hope that his brother would be honoured posthumously with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award. Satpal further shared that the organisers also wish to start hockey matches for girls under the tournament banner. “But there are monetary constraints,” he added.