Keeping hockey legend Mohinder Munshi’s legacy alive

Hockey Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi from Nangal Ambian village here was an extraordinary player, but jaundice claimed his life in 1977 when he was just 24. His brother, admirers and other hockey stalwarts are making sure his legacy is kept alive.

Satpal Singh, Munshi’s younger brother, along with hockey doyens — Olympian and Dhyan Chand Award recipient Davinder Singh Garcha and international player Daljit Singh — have been organising Olympian Mohinder Singh Munshi Hockey Tournament every year in December for the past 24 years.

Garcha said, “The motive is to produce more Mohinder Munshis. We want young generation to know and learn about the great man and player that he was. I have played with him. He was my senior. The nation lost one of its great players very early on. He had a lot of potential.”

As many as 12 teams of under-19 boys from across Punjab, UP, Odisha and Haryana participated in the tournament that began on December 9 and concluded today.

For Satpal Singh, it wasn’t easy to start and hold tournament because of financial constraints. For several years, he conducted school-level meets. Later, for the love of hockey and respect towards the exceptional player, Garcha and other good Samaritans joined in and started offering fiscal support to the annual event.

The winning team is awarded a prize money of Rs 1 lakh, while the teams finishing second and third in the meet pocket Rs 51,000 and Rs 31,000, respectively.

Now 65, Satpal Singh was barely 17 when his brother died. He shares the fondest memory of him, “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,” Satpal told The Tribune.

His father Munshi Ram was a peon at Doaba Khalsa Senior Secondary School and Mohinder Munshi used to study there. It was at this school ground where Munshi’s journey in the field of hockey started, and then there was no stopping. In 1970, he got posted in the Punjab Police.

Mohinder Munshi then played and won medals in Asian Games, 1975 World Championship that was held in Malaysia and the 1976 Olympics.

“But as he was climbing the ladder of success, a tragedy happened and we lost him a year later in September 1977,” said Satpal as he gets emotional. He added, “Sadly, the government has forgotten him and never honoured him with any award posthumously. No matter what, we will keep his legacy alive.”