Favourite Olympian & International players of Sansarpur

Sl.No

No. of  respondents who mentioned the name

        Name

     Playing

     Position

      Outstanding

        technique

 

 

 1.

16

Udham Singh Kullar

L. I.

Complete Hockey player

 

 2.

07

Jagjit Singh Kullar

C. H.

Outstanding C.H.

 

 

 3.

05

Gurdev Singh Kullar

R. I.

Schemer

 

 

 4.

05

Darshan Singh Kullar

C. F.

Goal Hungry

 

 

 5.

04

Gurmit Singh Kullar

R. I.

Schemer

 

 

 6.

03

Ajitpal Singh Kullar

C. H.

Best C.H.

 

 

 7.

02

Randhir Singh Kullar

C. F.

Best C.F.

 

 

 8.

02

Balbir Singh Kullar (Services)

R. H.

Good in Defense and Offense

 

 

 9.

01

Gurjit Singh Kullar

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 

10.

01

Parminder Singh Kullar

R. I.

Dashing Forward

 

 

11.

01

Darshan Singh Padani

L. I.

Scorer

 

 

12.

01

Pradeep Singh Pandha

R. H.

Good Half Back

 


the highest number of respondents i.e. 16 of them ( 32% ).  Jagjit Singh Kullar were named by 07 ( 14% ) respondents.  Gurdev Singh Kullar and Darshan Singh Kullar were mentioned by 05 respondents each.  Gurmit Singh Kullar were named by 04 ( 8% ) respondents .  Ajitpal Singh Kullar were mentioned by 03 ( 6% ) respondents.  Randhir Singh Kullar and Balbir Singh Kullar ( Services ) were named by 02 players each and the names of Gurjit Singh Kullar , Parminder Singh Kullar , Darshan Singh Padani, Pardeep Singh Pandha were mentioned by 01 respondent only.

      Some other remarks were also made by the respondents, which are given below:                      In the words of Balbir Singh Kullar ( services ), among Indian players from Sansarpur he considers Udham Singh Kullar as one of the greatest players he has seen. He says that among the various virtues Udham Singh Kullar possessed, his capacity for hard work and ability to give body dodges to opponents are most remarkable.  In his opinion Udham Singh Kullar was a complete hockey player who could play at any position, except that of goalkeeper, with equal ease and competence.

      Among the players from Sansarpur, Darshan Singh Kullar greatest regards for Udham Singh Kullar. For Udham Singh Kullar Darshan Singh Kullar says that his ability to dodge the opponents through his flexible body, his mastery over the stickwork and expertise in giving measured passes, are the qualities which have no parallel.

      According to Jarnail Singh Kullar, Udham Singh Kullar was a master of body dodges. He was moderately built; but possessed great stamina.  He was not at all selfish and always played for the team.

      According to Rajinder Singh Kullar, Udham Singh Kullar had a great control over the ball.  He was very swift and used to help others, which he continues to do even today.  He was a very good schemer and played a very sensible game.  He was my childhood idol. When I was studying in N.D.Victor High School, Jalandhar Cantonment, Udham Singh Kullar was senior to me.  We used to massage his legs and body and to see him playing was a greatest joy for us.  Even while in school, Udham Singh Kullar had all the attributes of becoming a great hockey player and we all could visualize even at that early stage that he would become a great player.

      Among international players from Sansarpur, Lal Singh Sohal is most impressed by Right half Balbir Singh Kullar ( Services ).  He says that Balbir Singh Kullar ( services )was not only solid in defense and provided great strength to Indian defense during his hockey  playing days but many a times he could run with forwards to become a sixth man in the attack line and had scored some goals also.  In fact Balbir Singh Kullar ( services ) used to play true total hockey, says Lal Singh Sohal.  While playing at Right half, he had many a times made saves at goal line when goal keeper had been beaten and had himself scored for Indian team too.

      Among internationals from Sansarpur, Jaswinder Singh Kullar considers Jagjit Singh Kullar, Indian centre half as one of his favourite hockey player.  He says that Jagjit Singh Kullar had the uncanny ability to distribute the ball.  He used to play for the team and was a great fighter.  He was a live wire in the field.  His body dodges and overhead passes were very accurate and a treat to witch.  He could have played for India for many years but bad luck and injuries curtailed his hockey career.

      Among international from Sansarpur, Pritpal Singh Aassi simply adores Udham Singh Kullar.  Pritpal Singh Aassi says that Udham Singh Kullar not only master of skills but is thorough sportsman.  He is very punctual, epitome of dedication, helpful in solving other players problems, had complete command over his temper and no matter how great the provocation may be, he could keep his cool.  He used to play for the team and many times after making a move, left the ball for others to score the goal.  His mastery over the game was so great that he could play at any position, except that of goal-keeper.  

      Among the Indian internationals from Sansarpur, Darshan Singh Sethi singled out Udham Singh Kullar for special mention, who played as inside left.  Darshan Singh Sethi says that Udham Singh Kullar was expert in giving body dodges to the opponents.  His speed and control of the ball was of highest order and his passes were accurate and well measured.  He was not a selfish player and played for the team and used to pass the ball at the most opportune moment, without even thinking of scoring a goal on his own.

      In the words of Parkash Singh Kullar, Randhir Singh Rana, another great name in Sansarpur hockey possessed great speed and ability to dodge the opponent.  He had so much command over the game, that he could dodge a player with speed in a short distance.  He possessed an uncanny mind of a great schemer.  Though he got few opportunities to represent the India, considering his talent, he should have got many more such opportunities.

      Darshan Singh Sethi, elder brother was also a great player. His dribbling was perfect, and had the unique ability to turn at the spot and he was a sure Scorer.  Most of the goal-keepers were not able to properly judge and anticipate his scoring shots.

Favourite foreign players


Sl.No

No. of  respondents who mentioned the name

   Name ( Country )

     Playing

     Positon

      Outstanding

        technique

 

 

 1.

07

Bovelander ( Holland )

F.B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 2.

04

Shahbaz Ahmed (Pakistan)

L. I.

Schemer

 

 3.

03

Charlesworth (Australia )

R. I.

Brilliant Inside Right

 

 4.

02

Shahnaz ( Pakistan )

L. I.

Scorer

 

 5.

02

Isluddin ( Pakistan )

R. O.

Good Right Winger

 

 6.

02

Paul Litzen (Holland )

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 7.

01

Tanvir Dar ( Pakistan )

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 8.

01

Samiullah ( Pakistan )

L. O.

Best Left winger

 

 9.

01

Akhtar Rasool (Pakistan )

C. H.

Dependable Pivot

 

10.

01

Manzoor ( Pakistan )

R. I.

Schemer

 

11.

01

Hasan Sardar ( Pakistan )

C.F.

Scorer

 

12.

01

Azam ( Pakistan )

C.F.

Scorer

 

13.

01

Munwar ( Pakistan )

F. B.

Outstanding Full Back

 

14.

01

Azeez ( Pakistan )

 

 

 

15.

01

Pierce ( Australia )

 

Scorer

 

16.

01

Saen Karley ( England )

 

 

 

17.

01

Fisher (Germany )

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

18.

01

Abdullah (Pakistan )

 

 

 

19.

01

Fred Hoose (Canada )

 

 

       17 respondents did not mention any name.

      It may be noted that among the 19 players who have been mentioned by respondents, 12 are from Pakistan, 02 from Holland and Australia each and 01 each is from England, Germany and Canada.  The predominant liking for the Pakistani players could be due to following reasons: ( a) Similarity in the Indian and Pakistan style of hockey.

( b ) Most of the respondents belong to the era when India and Pakistan were the most dominant powers in international hockey.

      In response to the question asking respondents to name the favourite foreign hockey players who have fascinated them most, Bovelander of Holland was cited by the highest number of respondents i.e. 07 of them ( 14% ), Shahbaz Ahmad of Pakistan were named by 04 ( 8% ) respondents.  Charlesworth of Australia were named by 03 ( 6% ) respondents.  Shahnaz and Isluddin of Pakistan and Paul Lizen of Holland were mentioned by two respondents each.  The name of Tanvir Dar, Samiullah, Munwar, Azeez, Abdullah, Pierce, Saen Karley, Fisher and Fred Hoose were mentioned by 01 respondents only.

      The special comments which were made by some of the respondents in justification of their choice of the player are given below:

      Among the foreign players, whom Balbir Singh Kullar admired most, he mentioned the names of Asad Malik, Shahnaz and Shahbaz all from Pakistan.  He said that greatest quality of all the three mentioned player was that all of them despite being inside left were the main schemers of their team, where as it is generally believed that inside right is the schemer.  Thus, it shows their greatness and command which they have over the game.

      Among foreign players, Darshan  Singh  Kullar was highly impressed by Pierce Australian forward, who was 6’-3’’ tall, stoutly built and used to play with Indian style.  He had the ability of receiving out of reach balls as well.

      In the word of Jarnail Singh Kullar, Akhtar Rasool was a very good centre half of Pakistan.  He was master in feeding the ball to forwards.  He generally used to immediately release the ball just after receiving it, mostly on his left.

      Among the outstanding foreign players, Darshan Singh Sethi is most impressed by Pakistan centre forward Azam.  Azam was a member of Khalsa college, Amritsar, hockey team before partition.  Darshan Singh Sethi has says that Azam’s stick work was of highest order and he possessed uncanny ability to score the goals.

      Among internationals Lal Singh Sohal had great admiration for Pakistan’s inside left Shahbaz.  He says that Shahbaz was a complete player as he had good speed, long strides, able to cover the ground very swiftly and possessed a shrewd hockey mind.  He never wasted his energy and only when he visualised a chance he made full efforts

Favourite Indian hockey players other than Sansarpur


Sl.No

No. of  respondents who mentioned the name

        Name

     Playing

     Position

      Outstanding

        technique

 

 

 1.

09

Balbir Singh ( Railways )

R. O.

Speedy right winger

 

 

 2.

04

K.D. Singh Babu

R. I.

Schemer

 

 

 3.

04

Prithipal Singh

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Specialist

 

 4.

03

Shankar Laxman

G. K.

Outstanding Goal Keeper

 

 

 5.

03

Ashok Kumar

R. I.

Schemer

 

 

 6.

02

Dhyan Chand

C. F.

Complete Hockey player

 

 

 7.

02

Joginder Singh

R. O

Skillful Right winger

 

 

 8.

02

Mannual

L. I.

Scorer

 

 

 9.

02

H. J. S. Chimni

C. F.

Scorer

 

 

10.

02

Surjit Singh

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 

11.

01

A. I. S. Dara

R. I.

Good Right In

 

 

12.

01

Kishan Lal

R. O.

Good right winger

 

 

13.

01

R. S. Gentle

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Expert

 

 

14.

01

Trilochan Singh

F. B.

Good defender

 

 

15.

01

R. S. Bhola

L. O.

Reverse Flick Specialist

 

 

16.

01

V. J. Peter

R. I.

Outstanding Inside right

 

 

17.

01

Harcharan Singh

L. O.

Skillful Left out

 

 

18.

01

Surinder Singh Sodhi

C. F.

Scorer

 

 

19.

01

Rajinder Singh

F. B.

Pleanty Corner Specialist

 

 

20.

01

Jagbir Singh

C. F.

Scorer

 

 

      Seven respondents did not mention the name of any players as their favourite among Indian non Sansarpuri hockey players.

       It may also be noted that most of the respondents have mentioned the names of their contemporary players as their favorites, which was but natural.  This may help in explaining the fact that the name of such a great hockey player like Dhyan Chand was mentioned by two of the respondents only as others might not have watched him at all.                   In the response to the question asking respondents to name the Indian hockey players not belonging to Sansarpur who have fascinated them most, Balbir Singh   (Railways ) was cited by the highest number of respondents i.e. 9 of them ( 18% ).  Prithipal Singh, Kanwar Dig Vijay Singh Babu were mentioned by 4 respondents each and Shankar Laxman and Ashok Kumar were named by 3 ( 6% ) respondents.  Dhyan Chand, Joginder Singh, Mannual Chimni And Surjit Singh were named by 2 players each and the names of Dara, Kishan Lal, R.S. Gentle, Trilochan SinghBhola, Peter, Harcharan Singh, Sodhi, Rajinder Singh, Rajbir Singh were mentioned by one respondent only.

      Balbir Singh ( outside right ) was named by 9 of the respondents as their favourite non Sansarpur Indian hockey players.  The special features\techniques of his game which were adored by these respondents include: His speed, dribbling and positional play.                         Some other remarks were also made by the respondents, which are given below:

       Among Indian players not belonging to Sansarpur, Gurjit Singh Kullar considers Trilochan Singh Bawa, Full back as one of the greatest Indian hockey player of his era.  Gurjit Singh Kullar said that Trilochan Singh Bawa was very accurate with his hit and also very good and effective at checking the opponents.

      Among the Indian players not belonging to Sansarpur, Darshan Singh Sethi has highest regards for full back R.S. Gentle.  Darshan Singh Sethi says that R. S. Gentle possessed a very hard accurate and fast hit.  He was so skillful that he did not have to employ the brute force to hit the ball as he used to play with light stick and made use of wrist to impart the necessary power and speed to his hit.  He was so skillful that it was difficult for even the best of an opponent to give him a single dodge.

      Among Indian international players Darshan Singh Kullar  named K.D.Babu.  Darshan  Singh Kullar says Babu’s distribution of passes was a treat to watch and his especiality was that he used to receive ball on wrong foot.

      Karnail Singh Kullar is highly impressed by right in K.D. Babu.  Karnail Singh Kullar  says that Babu’s stick work was close to perfection and his passes were so accurate and measured that even a novice could play alongside him very easily and score easily on his passes.

      In the words of Mohinder Singh Padani, Joginder Singh, who was a member of 1964 Olympic gold winning Indian team.  He was a right out of highest order.  His dribbling and ability to dodge opponents was of super quality.  He used to play on the sidelines which provides more space for attack by opening the field.  Only a very skilled player can play on the sidelines as it requires great control over the ball.  He played a key role in 1964 Olympic final against Pakistan.  Joginder Singh’s father was the motivating source and had a significant role in moulding Joginder Singh into a player of highest quality.  His father used to watch all his game and thus provide him the guidance.

      Among the Indian players who do not belong to Sansarpur, Jaswinder Singh Kullar has highest regards for H.J.S. Chimni who represented in 1975 World Cup winning Indian hockey team (Kuala Lumpur ) as centre forward.  Jaswinder Singh Kullar says that he had a long association with Chimni as both of them studied in the same school.  Chimni also lived in Sansarpur during his early days ( 1954 ).  Later, when Jaswinder Singh Kullar joined army, Chimni was his officer and both of them played together for S.R.C.( Meerut).  Jaswinder Singh Kullar says that Chimni was a very good centre forward and he was an effective scorer.  When ever Chimni could enter the opponents D, a goal was almost certainly.  He was a team man according to Jaswinder Singh Kullar and used to play a selfless game.  Jaswinder Singh Kullar has high regards for Chimni not only as a great hockey player but also as a true sportsman.  Jaswinder Singh Kullar says that in army teams, it is a general practice that a senior officer leads the team, but Chimni inspite of being an officer, on several occasions gave chances to his juniors to lead the team. At present, Chimni is Major General in the Indian army.                    

      According to Parkash Singh Kullar, Dhyan Chand’s is of course unrivaled the most beautiful aspect of his game was cleanliness of his shots.  He could hit the ball cleanly in first attempt with such a precision that a hit taken by him was a certain goal.  His game was a real treat to watch.  He possessed the natural talent which only a truly gifted player can have.  He used to take normal diet, had no formal coaching and was a pleasant personality having a smiling face and used to lead a clean life, even though he earned highest laurels in his life time but these successes did not take him away from the people.  He was a true sportsman.  He had highest appreciation of Sansarpur hockey as he played a lot of hockey with Sansarpuri’s, he was well aware of their artistery and had highest regards for Sansarpur hockey.  He had no hesitation in praising a piece of good hockey and a good hockey player.  He often use to say that Gopal Singh Kullar is a better player than himself.  Only a Sportsman of highest order can make such a comment.  He also had highest regards about the game of Mohan Singh Aassi, Sadhu Singh Kullar and Aatma Singh Kullar as he had played against them in Military units tournaments where these people provided him a tough competition.  These games were so hard fought that the margin of defeat was very narrow and any team could win on a given day.  Dhyan Chand did not face such a strong field even in International hockey where he was a prolific scorer.  It speaks volumes of his greatness and sportsmanship that he always openly acknowledged this fact. 

      Among Indian players other than Sansarpuri’s, Lal Singh Sohal has highest regards for Shankar Laxman whom he considered best goal keeper India has ever produced.  Shankar Laxman representation India in 1964 Olympics gold medal winning team at Tokyo and Captained 1966 Asian Games team.  Lal Singh Sohal says that Shankar Laxman used to reserve his best for the tournaments.  He possessed such a great fighting spirit that he could always draw from his reserves at crucial moments, and many a times saved the day for India.  Lal Singh Sohal narrated an incident which relate to 1964 Olympic final against traditional rivals Pakistan.  He said that in this game, Laxman was completely beaten by a short as he fell down in trying to save the goal but he made a second attempt and could clear the ball.  This speaks volumes for his never  say die spirit and quick silver moments.   

Coaching received and sources providing practical help


Sl.No

            Sub  Factors

Agree

   %

Disagree

  %

Undecided

   %

  4.1

 Own practice

50

100 %  

 - 

   -

 -

-

  4.2

 Observing others

50

100 %

 -

   -

 -

-

  4.3

 Players:

 a ) International

 b ) National

 c ) Sr. Players

 

14

01

02

 

 28 %

 02 %

 04 %

 

38

49

48

 

76 % 

98 %

96 %

 

 -

 -

 -

 

-

-

-

  4.4

 Coaches:

 a ) School

 b ) College

 c ) University

 d ) National

 

09

02

02

01

 

 18 %

 04 %

 04 %

 02 %

 

41

48

48

49

 

82 %

96 %

96 %

98 %

 

 -

 -

 -

 -

 

-

-

-

-

 

      In the response to the item ( 4 a ), all respondents answered in the negative i.e. none of them have received any formal coaching.

      However, in response to the item ( 4 a ), which asks them to name the sources from where they received the greatest amount of practical help, all of them considered self practice and observing others  as the sources.

      Among the categories of players , who provided practical help to the respondents, although international players come on top, but they too have been considered by only 28% of the respondents, where as National and other Senior players have been considered by negligibly small percentage of respondents ( 2% and 4% respectively )

      Among the categories of coaches , who provided practical help to the respondents, school coaches get the highest percentage of votes but even their share is only 18%, where as college, university, national coaches are considered by a negligible fraction of respondents ( 4%, 4.%, 2% respectively ).

      Thus, we find that none of the respondents had the advantage of formal coaching and all of them mastered the game through self practice and by watching others only.  Though a few of them got practical help from international players ( 28% ) and school coaches (18% ) also.  However, some other remarks were also made by the respondents, which are given below:

      Udham Singh Kullar says that though he learnt a lot by observing great hockey players of his era and nothing minutely their techniques and mistakes and weak points of rivals, he did not have the benefit of formal coaching.  Basically he remained self coached hockey player.

      Balbir Singh Kullar says that he has not received any formal coaching and he learned the game through self practice and by closely watching the game of stalwarts of his time.  He narrated that in 1956, national hockey championship was organised at P.A.P., hockey ground, Jalandhar Cantt., which is 5 Km away from his house Sansarpur.  At that time he was eleven years of age and was studying in class VI.  He watched all the games of the tournament for which he had to walk all the distance on foot as there was no conveyance available.  He says that he still remembers the names of all the teams and players which took part in that tournament and remembers the score of each game too.

      Darshan Singh Kullar says that initially, he did not got any formal coaching later 1961 onwards, when he had already played for India, he received extensive coaching from G.S. Bodhi, who was a national coach at that time. Darshan Singh Kullar says that G.S Bodhi helped him to improve his shooting through extensive practice.

      No formal coaching but some finer points were taught by my seniors Peter and Shankar Laxman ( Lal Singh Sohal ).

Persons providing encouragement for playing hockey


Sl.No

            Sub  Factors

Agree

   %

Disagree

  %

Undecided

   %

 3.1

  Parents

   33

 66 %

17   

34 %

   -

    -

 3.2

  Family members

29

 58 %

21

42 %

   -

    -

 3.3

  Neighbour villagers

  -

    -

50

100%

   -

    -

 3.4

  Olympians

31

 62 %

19

38 %

   -

    -

 3.5

  Coaches:

  a ) National

  b ) School

  c ) Higher level

 

07

31

05

 

 14 %

 62 %

 10 %

 

40

19

42

 

80 %

38 %

84 %

 

  03

   -

  03

 

 06 %

    -

 06 %

 3.6

  Players:

  a ) School

  b ) College

  c ) University

 

02

03

02

 

 04 %

 06 %

 04 %

 

45

44

45

 

90 %

88 %

90 %

 

  03

  03

  03

 

 06 %

 06 %

 06 %

 

      Item No.3  asked the respondents to name the personality ( personalities ) who have been source of greatest encouragement to them in their hockey career.  Highest percentage of respondents consider their parents as the most dominant source of encouragement for them (  66 % ), followed by encouragement of other family members (  58 % ), which shows that family were an important source of motivation in the opinion of majority of respondents.   

      Other major sources of inspiration were Olympians ( 62 % ) and School Coaches ( 62 % ).

      However, influence of neighbouring villages is not considered a motivating factor by any of the respondents and other players from Schools, College & University teams are also considered a motivating factor only by a negligible faction of respondents ( i.e. 4%, 6% & 4% respectively ).  Similarly insignificant percentage of respondents consider national & high level coaches a source of motivation for them ( i.e. 14 % & 10 % respectively ).  The analysis shows that     

a ) Parents

b ) Other family members

c ) Olympians

d ) School coaches

      emerge as the dominant sources of motivation where as

a ) Neighbouring villages

b) National Coaches

c) Higher level Coaches

d ) School, College and University players

      could not be considered as important among the motivating factors.

     Thus, parents , other family members , olympians and school coaches are the only dominant factors responsible for providing encouragement to the respondents , where as neighbouring villages, national coaches, higher level coaches and school , college and university players cannot be considered as factors for the same.  Some respondents also made special comments in favour of  the dominant factors, which are given below:

      Among the people from Sansarpur who inspired him to play hockey, in addition to his family members Udham Singh Kullar showed deep reverence for Gurmit Singh Kullar the first Olympian from Sansarpur and Gopal Singh Kullar who also played hockey with distinction at national level.

      Udham Singh Kullar also has deep respect and gives credit for moulding him into great hockey player to his national coach Habul Mukherjee and Harbail Singh, Director Physical Education, Khalsa college, Amritsar.  Udham Singh Kullar say that these two not only were the coaches of the teams for which he played but took personal interest in him and provided the much needed psychological support. Udham Singh Kullar says that he is greatly influenced by the thinking of Habul Mukherjee who laid great emphasis on development of hockey skills and did not neglect but put physical exercises at second place.

      Gurjit Singh Kullar said that as he lost his father at a very early age, he was hardly 4-5 years old when his father expired, he could not get any encouragement from him.  When he was a student of high school in N.D. Victor High School, Jalandhar Cantt., his coach Ballu took great interest in him and not only taught him the basic hockey skills but also provided all the encouragement and motivation.  The other source of motivation for him were the players from the village who won laurels at Olympics.  Being lucky to get a chance to observe them playing in the village at very early age, he also decided to emulate them.

      In naming the various people who were source of inspiration for him, Balbir Singh Kullar became some but emotional and mentioned that from his early days to the end of his hockey playing career his family members have not only been the greatest source of inspiration for him but have also provided him with all kind of support.  He specifically mentioned the role of his mother, father brothers who were all great lovers of hockey.  He fondly still remembers the day when his name was for the first time included in the list of Indian probables, his father sent him a money order of RS. 200/- that was in 1965.

      He also said that village elders also played a great role in encouraging him to take to the game of hockey.  Among whom he mentioned the name of Tara Singh.

      He is also indebted to some Indian  Hockey  Federation officials like its ex- president Ashwani Kumar and Nagarwala.  For Ashwani Kumar he has special respects and mentioned that when his knee needed operation Ashwni Kumar not only made arrangements for his operation at Amritsar and specially requested to Dr. Karam Singh there is take full care of him saying that his knee is very precious as such players are found rarely once in century.  These words of Ashwani Kumar were certainly a great moral booster for him in those difficult days of him.  He also mentioned that Ashwani Kumar was also instrumental in his selection for 1968 Olympics team as at that time he could not take part in selection trial due to his army training in Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.  When a news reporter asked Ashwani Kumar, President, Indian, Hockey, Federation, how could his name could be included in the list when he had not taken part in selection trials, Ashwani Kumar replied that his choice is automatic, there is no need of selection trial in his case.

      Darshan  Singh  Kullar said that among the family members, his father was the greatest motivating factor for him.  He always encouraged him to play hockey and used to say, “ when will you be able to play like Udhi ( Udham Singh Kullar )”.  Though, Darshan  Singh  Kullar kept the promise he made to his father and played for India like Udham Singh Kullar but still regrets that his father could not see that day.  In early days his elder brother Pritam Singh Kullar, who played as goal-keeper for Services with distinction, used to give finer tips of the game whenever he was home in vacations.  More than the individuals, Darshan  Singh  Kullar feels that whole village atmosphere in those days, where all youngsters and elders used to talk about hockey all the time, inspired him to play hockey.  He still names Dass Singh , Mohan Singh and Satya Parkash names as the village elders who provided him all the motivation in early days to play hockey.

      Darshan Singh Sethi says it was the family tradition which influenced him most in opting for hockey career.  They are six brothers and all of them are hockey players.  Among them his elder brother Ram Chand was the greatest influence on him.  Ram Chand, who was a contemporary of Dhyan Chand and rubbed shoulders with arghasty the greatest hockey ace of India many times played hockey for services, NWFP, Rajasthan and Madras, gave him the first hockey lessons and was an idol for him to emulate.

      Pritpal Singh Aassi says that greatest motivation for him was his father Mohan Singh Aassi himself who was a venerated  figure in the Sansarpur.  His brother Abchal Singh Aassi also motivated him a great deal in his early days.  Later Udham Singh Kullar and Balbir Singh Kullar ( Services ) also encouraged him to play hockey says Pritpal Singh Aassi.  Pritpal Singh Aassi further added that coach Gurdip Singh and G. S. Bodhi, a national coach also provided him motivation.

      Jaswinder Singh Kullar says that initial encouragement was provided by family members, especially by his brother Mohinder Singh Kullar, who himself was a good hockey player.  Later when he joined S.R.C. (Meerut), his team mate and officer Hari Pal Kaushik, who was an Olympian not only taught final points of the game but was a source of motivation for him.  Jaswinder Singh Kullar says that he owes a lot to him as he was instrumental in building his hockey career.  Jaswinder Singh Kullar aslo feels indebted to his school P.T.I. Kuldeep Singh, who himself was a great hockey enthusiast and encouraged Jaswinder Singh Kullar to take hockey very seriously.

      Jarnail Singh Kullar was introduced to the game by his Uncle Sohan Singh Kullar who presentation him his first hockey stick and took him to the ground for the first time when he was hardly 4-5 years old.  Sohan Singh Kullar was himself a player of highest calibre, unfortunately he did not get the chance to play for country, though in scale of the game, he could match any International player of his time. 

       Mohinder Singh Padani got encouragement from Ram Chand Padani, elder brother, who himself was a top class player.  School P.T.I. Kuldeep Singh, though himself was not a player of repute but had the ability to motivate youngsters.

      Karnail Singh Kullar says that the greatest motivation was provided to me by my parents and Olympians from Sansarpur.  He specially name the name of Tara Singh Kullar, who was his elder and took personal interest in his hockey during his early days.  He has stated in his questionnaire that Tara Singh Kullar who himself was a hockey player used to play with the children of his age and also was instrumental inarranging their matches with Army teams and organising these matches.


Factors responsible for making hockey more popular in Sansarpur as compared to other games.


Sl.No

            Sub  Factors

Agree

  %

Disagree

  %

Undecided

  %

  2.1 

British Army’s influence

  50

100 %

      -           

   -

       -

   -

  2.2   

Watching the game

  50

100 %

      -

   -

       -

   -

  2.3

Influence of  Cantonment 

  50  

100 %

      -

   -

       -

   -

  2.4

Achievement in hockey adds to the prestige of village

  50

100 %

      -

   -

       -

   -

  2.5 

Influence of players & accepting them as a role model 

  50

100 %

      -

   -

       -

   -

        The respondents agreed  with all the factors. ( See table 3.II )  However some other observations were also made by the respondents, which are given below:

      Gurjit Singh Kullar considered Sansarpur’s proximity to Cantonment as the main reason for Sansarpur’s performance of hockey over other games.  Gurjit Singh Kullar said that though other games like football, volleyball etc. Were also played by military men at that time but game of hockey was taken up more seriously by them.  And standards of hockey of army teams of that era was quite high.  This had its impact on Sansarpur as the village was very near to Cantonment and Sansarpuri’s also started playing hockey.

      Darshan Singh Sethi feels that the most important factor was the influence of senior hockey players.  Since they used to take their hockey very seriously, watching them play the game and prestige attached to the game by other village elders motivated the youngsters of his age to take to the game.

      According to Lal Singh Sohal that once a game gains popularity in a certain region due to whatever reasons, younger generations continue to play the game.  As it becomes a part of their tradition.  If we look at our own region we find that hockey is popular in Sansarpur, football in Mahalpur, Hoshiarpur and basketball in Kapurthala.

      Kullar family of Sansarpur, which took to hockey in a big way, is a family of hard working, disciplined and energetic people.  They brought these inherent qualities.  Kullar helped them a great deal in rising in the field of hockey .  As success begets success, having been successful in hockey, they got opportunities in other fields and they did well there too.  Success of some early Kullars in hockey in particular in life in general became motivating factor for others. ( Pritam Singh Kullar )

      As Cantonment acquired village land, so less land was available for cultivation and thus village folk was forced to look for other avenues.  When Sansarpuri’s started getting jobs in army and other such departments because of their hockey skills, they got more opportunity to practice the game and could improve further.  Thus nonavailabilty of other occupations and getting good jobs due to the game worked in random to motivate Sansarpuri’s to take their hockey seriously and it became almost an obbession with them.  All village life got centered around the game and hockey was most discussed topic in the village.  Thus hockey played a crucial role in economic advancement of the village people.  Due to the game, they got opportunities to visit various places which provided them with new experiences and thus helped in social advancement of the village.  By nature Sansarpuri’s are hard working, competitive and possess desire to excel in life.  Hockey was one such area which suited their temperament and they took to the game whole heartedly. (Jarnail Singh Kullar)

      Though initially Sansarpur took the game due to the fact that it provided them with a job.  Later, it became the identity of the village and a matter of prestige for Sansarpuri’s.  For every Sansarpuri’s the greatest honour was to achieve distinction in the game.  Thus it became the part and parcel of the village, so much so, that no Sansarpuri could think of being alienated from the game.  Sansarpur hockey reached its zenith in late thirties and early forties.

      For Sansarpuri’s hockey was the only passion and no destruction from the game was allowed.  If a youngster was found in indulging in any other recreation or activity, e.g. visiting a Cinema Hall, he was severely reprimanded by his seniors as well as his team mates.  He was socially boycotted and was not allowed to enter the field. For Sansarpuri’s, it was almost a sin even to think of anything other than hockey .

      There were three teams in Sansarpur, comprising of different age groups: A senior team, School Boys team and children team. Even children, when practicing, used to try to copy senior team heroes in their own way.  Udham’s dodge and Gurdev’s tap were the common cries which could be heard even at children matches. ( Rajinder Singh Kullar )

Factors responsible for making Sansarpur famous for its hockey


Sl.No

Sub  Factors

Agree

   %

Disagree

  %

Undecided

   %

  1.1

Disciplined  life  of  cantonment

  50         

100%

      -

  -

       - 

    -

  1.2

Outstanding  hockey  players 

  50

100%

      -

  -

       -

    -

  1.3

Interaction  of  various hockey  teams  at  local  level 

  50

100%

      -

  -

       -

    -

  1.4

Locals  in  good  placement  in  jobs  because  of  being  hockey  player

  50

100%

      -

  -

       -

    -

  1.5

Sports  ground  facilities ( parade  ground  available )

  50 

100%

      -

  -  

       -   

    -      

  1.6

1st  Indian  Army  team  which  visited  New  Zealand  had  a  player  from  Sansarpur

  50

100%

      -

  -

       -

    -

  1.7

Local  culture  of  people

  50

100%

      -

  -

       -

    -

  1.8

Good  marriage  prospects  after  becoming  players

  48

 96%

     02

4%

       -

    -

   Table 1 shows that  all  the  50  respondents  agreed  with  factors  1-7  where  as  two  did  not  agree  with  the  last  factor .  It  shows  that  all  the  eight  listed  factors  were  overwhelmingly  agreed  upon  by  the  respondents .Respondents  did  not  only  agree  with  the  listed  factors , but  some  of  them  also  made  special  comments  in  favour  of  these , which  are  given  below :

According  to  Udham  Singh  Kullar , the  factors  which  contributed  to  development  and  progress  of  hockey  in  Sansarpur  were :

1.  Its  vicinity  to  British  Army  Cantonment  area  which  adjoins  the  village  and  motivation  and  inspiration  provided  by  Army  people  to  natives  of  Sansarpur  to  adopt  the  game .

2.  Availability  of  a  huge  sized  Parade  ground  just  outside  the  village  which  could  be  used  for  playing  hockey .

3.  Frequent  opportunity  of  playing  hockey  matches  against  Army  teams , Punjab   Police  team, teams  of  near  by  colleges  and  also  the  opportunity  to  play  in  village  tournaments  which  were  regularly  organised .  Among  the  various  hockey  teams  which  used  to  participate  in  these  tournaments , team  of  adjoining  village  Khusropur  was  a  very  strong  one  second  only  to  Sansarpur’s  team , winning  the  match  against  Khusropur  was  a  matter  of  village  prestige  as  there  was  great  hockey   rivalry  between  the  two  neighbouring  villages .  This  competition  produced  many  great  hockey  players  from  the  two  villages .  In  fact  the  contribution  of  Khusropur  to  Indian  hockey  is  also  significant .

4.  As  a  large  portion  of  Sansarpur  was  occupied  by  Cantonment , there  was  not  much  land  left  for  cultivation  and  village  people  were  looking  for  alternate  occupation , when  some  of  the  players  from  Sansarpur  succeeded  at  National  and  International  level  and  were  thus  able  to  get  reasonably  good  employment :  Army , Police  department  and  private  companies  being  some  of  the  employees , motivated  others  to  adopt  hockey . ( Udham  Singh  Kullar )

      Darshan  Singh  Kullar  feels  the  greatest  influence  on  Sansarpur  which  molded  them  into  hockey  crazy   people  and  produced  so  many  hockey  greats  was  British  Army .  According  to  him , British  Army  needed  players for  its  various  hockey  teams .  Sansarpur  being  one  of  the  nearest  village  to  the  Cantonment , Army  people  first  came  into  contact  with  them .  When  one  or  two  Sansarpuris  got  themselves  enlisted  in  Army  and  played  hockey  for  various  Army  teams , the  job , recognition  and  opportunity  to  visit  various  places  became  motivating  factors  for  others  and  playing  hockey  became  a  symbol  of  prestige  for  young  Sansarpuris .  Thus , it  was  the  influence  of  British  Army  which  initiated  Sansarpuri’s  into  hockey.  Darshan  Singh  Kullar   says  that  it  is  an  open  secret  that  there  was  not  much  land  available  for  Sansarpurs  due  to  its  closeness  to  cantonment  and  other  than  hockey  Sansarpur  cannot  claim  distinction  in  any  field .  It  is  only  hockey , which  have  earned  Sansarpuri’s  all  the  prestige  and  had  put  this  tiny  village  on  the  world  map .  Due  to  hockey  only  Sansarpur’s  eligible  bachelors  could  marry  girls  from  well-off  and  reputed  families  from  outside  village .  In  his  opinion  99%  marriages  in  Sansarpur  hockey  players  were  due  to  its  hockey  only . ( Darshan  Singh  Kullar )

      Balbir  Singh  Kullar   mentioned  that  it  was  British  Army  who  brought  hockey  to  India , Sansarpur  being  closer  to  the  Cantonment  area  had  an  early  interaction  with  the  game .  British  Army  not  only  introduced  hockey  to  Sansarpur’s  but  also  encouraged  them  to  play  hockey .  They  allowed  villagers  to  make  use  of  their  parade  ground  as  they  were  not  having  one  of  their  own , thus  under  the  influence  of  British  Army  men , villagers  of  Sansarpur  took  to  hockey .  As  some  of  them  achieved  a  high  standard  in  hockey  and  got  national  recognition , they  became  village  heroes .  He  mentioned  that  Thakur  Singh  was  among  the  first  few  got  national  recognition .  He  toured  New  Zealand  with  the  Indian  Army  team  of  which  great  Dhyan  Chand  was  a  member .  As  early  hockey  players   from  Sansarpur  not  only  got  recognition  for  themselves  by  mastering  hockey  skills , they  also  brought  laurels  to  the  village .  It  was  through  hockey  only  that  the  name  of  a  tiny  village  of  Sansarpur  became  nationally  and  Internationally  known .  Thus  hockey   became  a  symbol  of  identity  for  the  village  folk .  Besides  this  the  game  of  hockey  also  enabled  them  to  get  jobs  and  earn  better  livings .  As  there  were  not  much  employment  opportunities  available  inside  the  village  due  to  lack  of  cultivable  land , the  major  part  of  which  was  occupied  by  cantonment  .  A  combination  of  these  factors  provided  thrust  to  the  of  game  of  hockey  in  the  village  and  the  game  got  its  root  so  deep  as  that  it  almost  became  a  part  of  their  psyche  and  hockey  playing  and  Sansarpur  became  in  separable .  Each  son  of  the  soil  dreamt  of  playing  hockey  for  the  country  and  was    given  all  encouragement  by  his  elders

        He  also  mentioned  that  in  some  families , playing  hockey  almost  took  the  place  of  family  occupation , there  are  a  few  families  in  Sansarpur  which  have  been  producing  hockey  players  of  National  and  International  from  3-4  generations .  Among  them  he  mentioned  the  names  of  some  families  which  has  produced  hockey  players  comprising  of  three  generations . ( Balbir , Services )

       Gurjit  Singh  Kullar  specifically  emphasised, local  atmosphere  and  local  culture  of  the  village  at  that  time  as  an  important  factor  contributing  to  Sansarpur  hockey.  He  said  that  Sansarpuris  at  that  time  were  simple  village  folk , were  leading  healthy  simple  life , had  no  vices  and  their  sole  occupation  other  than  agriculture  was  hockey .  Those  who  were  first  to  adopt  hockey  were  respected  personalities  of  the  village  and  had  other  means  to  earn  their  livelihood  and  thus  hockey  gained  respectability  in  the  eyes  of  others .  Where  some  of  the  villagers  got  respectable  jobs  in  army  due  to  their  hockey , the  game  got   further   recognition .     ( Gurjit  Singh  Kullar )

       Darshan  Singh  Sethi  agreed  that  certainly  the  presence  of  military  hockey teams  in  the  vicinity  of  the  village  played  a  crucial  role  in  introducing  Sansarpuri’s  to  hockey , as  by  observing  them  playing  the  game  seriously  they  began  to  take  interest  in  the  game .  When  some  of  them  got  good  jobs  in  the  army  due  to  their  skills  of  the  game  further  motivation  was  provided  to  the  people  of  Sansarpur  to  take  their  hockey  more  seriously .  Moreover  the  facilities  for  playing  hockey  were  also  provided  by  the  cantonment  people .  For  example , there  were  8 or 9  hockey  fields  provided  by  Britishers  for  their  cantonment  hockey  teams , in  the  vicinity  of  Sansarpur .  These  hockey  fields  were  made  available  to  Sansarpur’s  too , the  best  among  these  grounds  was  known  as  Maratha  ground  which  was  a  chat  ground .  This  ground  was  used  only  once  a  week  and  was  maintained  by  army  people  with  great  care .  Darshan  Singh  Sethi  said  that  he  himself  first  saw  Britishers , army  men  and  locals  play  on  this  field , when  he  was  very  young .  Later , he  himself  practiced  on  this  ground  and  played  matches  also . ( Darshan  Singh  Sethi )

       According  to  Pritam  Singh  Kullar , most  important  factor  which  have  made  Sansarpur  famous  for  its  contribution  to  hockey  was  its  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Jalandhar  cantonment  .  He  also  mentioned  that  Jalandhar  has  traditionally  been  a  media  centre .  Lots  of  news  papers  in  many  languages  are  published  from  Jalandhar  and  some  of  them  are  century  old .  Thus  hockey  exploits  of  Sansarpur  got  the  media  coverage  since  early  days  and  helped  in  Sansarpur  getting  the  national  attention .  Availability  of  open  space  to  play  hockey  was  also  an  important  factor  in  introduction  of  hockey  in  Sansarpur . ( Pritam  Singh   Kullar )

       Karnail  Singh  Kullar  agrees  that  it  was  the  hard  practice  which  made  Sansarpur  players  of  yesteryears  what  they  were .  He  said  that  they  used  to  practice  all  evenings  on  every  day  till  it  was  so  dark  that  they  could  not  see  the  ball .  Evening  games  used  to  continue  upto  late  hours  during  moon  night ( Karnail  Singh  Kullar )  

     Due  to  hockey  our  people  got  higher  positions  in  army , BSF , Punjab  Police  and  civil  services  also .  We  maintained  the  tradition  of  high  standard  in  hockey  set  by  our  ancestors . ( Parkash  Singh  Kullar )

       Jarnail  Singh Kullar observes that  availability  of  the  parade  ground  in  front  of  the  village helped the game to give it a boost .  English  military  men  used  to  play  hockey  in  this  ground  and  Sansarpur  residents  watched  them  playing  and  got  interested  in  the  game .  Availability  of  the  ground  is  a  very  crucial  factor  in  introducing  Sansarpuri’s  to  hockey  as  is  explained  below :

       Although  a  superficial  probing  into  the  reasons  for  popularity  of  hockey   among  Sansarpuri’s  leads  one  to  the  conclusion  of  it’s  proximity  to  the  cantonment  area  and  influence  of  English  military  men .  But  Jalandhar  was  not  the  only  British  cantonment  in  India .  There  were  so  many  other  such  cantonments  through  out  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  country .  But  we  do  not  find  the  popularity  of  the  game  in  the  neighbourhood  of  all  cantonments .  Even  if  we  assume  that  Jalandhar  cantonment  was  some  what  special  in  this  regard  and  British  army  men  who  were  posted  here  took  special  interest  in  introducing  villagers  to  the  game , the  question  remains  why  other  villages  who  are  situated  near  the  Jalandhar  cantonment  did  not  get  the  impact .  To  understand  the  above  fact , we  may  look  at  the  following  diagrammatic  representation  of  neighbourhood  of  the  Jalandhar  cantonment . 

      As  it  becomes  evident  on  observing  the  above  diagram  that  besides  Sansarpur , there  are  so  many  other  villages  who  are  equally  close  to  cantonment  but  their  contribution  to  hockey  is  not  at  all  comparable  to  the  Sansarpur’s  contribution .  Here  the  importance  of  the  availability  of  the  ground  emerges  as  a  very  distinct  influence .  We  find  that  no  other  village ( shown  in  the  figure ) had  access  to  such  a  big  field  where  hockey  could  be  played  with  ease .  In  this  respect  Sansarpur  was  singularly  fortunate .  The  other  village  who  could  make  significant  contribution  next  to  Sansarpur  was  Khusropur .  Here  also  geographical  factors  seem  to  have  played  their  part .  As  Khusropur  also  had  an  open  field , which  was  though  small  in  size  as  compared  to  Sansarpur’s  field  but  was  sufficient  enough  for  hockey  to  be  played .  And  Khusropur  being  adjacent  to  the  Sansarpur ,certainly  had  got  motivation  from  Sansarpur .

       Thus , we  see  that  as  hockey  was  brought  to  India  by  Britishers  and  naturally  the  game  first  became  popular  in  cantonments  vicinity .  It  could  get  a  firm  footing  only  in  areas  where  facilities  were  available , the  most  important  of  them  being  the  availability  of  ground  as  other  equipment  in  those  days  was  not  very  costly .  The  following  table  will  further  clarify  the  point  that  villages  which  were  close  to  Sansarpur  and  cantonment  and  thus  had  access  to  the  ground  did  receive  the  impact  from  British  hockey  and  had  made  some  contribution  to  the  game.

 Sl.No 

Village

     Situation 

    Ground

      Contribution

   1. 

Khusropur

Near  cantonment

200m x 200m

Olympian(4), International (3) 

   2.

Mithapur

5 Km. from Cantt.  

         *

Olympian(3)

   3. 

Kaki Pind

2Km. from Cantt.

         *

Olympian (1)

International (1)

   4.

Dhanowali

1Km. from Cantt.

         *

Olympian (1)

   5.

Bringh

Parafree on Cantt.

         *

International (1)

   6.

Kukar Pind

5Km. from Cantt.

         *

International (2)

   7.

Sarnih

11Km. from Cantt.

         *

Olympian (1)

       Rajinder  Singh   Kullar  feels  that  the  foremost  reason  for  hockey  gaining  popularity  in  Sansarpur  is  due  to  its  nearness  to  Jalandhar  cantonment .  The  fact  is  quite  obvious  as  one  finds  that  English  cantonments  in  India  were  mainly  spread  between  Barely  to  Peshawar  and  Peshawar  to  Jhansi , which  also  has  been  the  traditional  hockey  heartland  of  India .

       The  availability  of  a  large  open  space  in  front  of  the  village  helped  Sansarpuri’s  a  great  deal  in  mastering  the  skills  of  the  game .  There  were  seven  barracks  in  the  English  cantonment , Jalandhar , out  of  which  5  are  still  there  as  two  of  them  got  burnt  down  due  to  a  fire  in  English  period .  The  middle  barrack  was  the  largest  and  had  a  weather  cock  on  its  front  side .  So  it  was  called “Murghe  Wali  Barrack”  by  village  folk .  Between  these  barracks  and  Sansarpur  village , there  is  a  500 x 500  yard  open  space , where  initially  British  troops  started  practicing .  Seeing  them  play , Sansarpur  people  also  took  to  the  game .

       Cantonment  area  was  a  restricted  area  and  civilians  were  not  allowed  entry  into  it .  But  Britishers  had  to  employ  local  people  for  small  jobs  and  thus  a  few  of  the  villagers  got  entry  into  the  area .  The  two  early  grounds  men  of  Britishers  were  Gamma  and  Viri  who  were  employed  to  do  jobs  like  watering  the  ground , marking  the  lines  and  general  up-keep  of  the  ground .  These  two  gentlemen  sometimes  needed  extra  help,  for  which  they  depended  upon  village  children .  This  lead  to  further  interaction  between  villagers  and  army  men , and  later  they  allowed  villagers  to  play  with  them .  Thus  these  two  groundsmen  played  a  key  role  in  bringing  villagers  into  contact  of  British  army  men .  They  further  helped  the  village   folk  by  providing  them  used  hockey  sticks  and  balls , which  were  discarded  by  army  men , as  initially  the  villagers  could  not  afford  even  this  kind  of  equipment .  Incidentally  Gamma  and  Viri , the  two  Muslims  whose  real  name  were  Gamma  and  Virdin , later  became  the  members  of  1936   Sansarpur  hockey  team , which  were  the  glory  days  of  Sansarpur  hockey .

       Moreover , in  those  days , many  individuals  from  Sansarpur  took  great  personal  interest  to  promote  hockey   in  the  area .  One  of  them  was  Arjun  Singh .  He  was  an  alround  sportsman .  He  excelled  in  hockey, cricket  and  football .  He  was  a  physically  strong  person  and  was  a  very  fast  runner .  He  went  to  Kenya  and  settled  there , though  he  returned  to  Sansarpur  in  last  phase  of  his  life .  While  he  was  in  Kenya , he  invited  many  hockey  players  from  Sansarpur  to  Kenya  and  helped  them  in  earning  a  good  living  there  by  playing  hockey .  Even  after  returning  to  India , he  sent  some  Sansarpur  hockey  players  to  Kenya .  This  was  perhaps  the  first  effort  in  providing  foreign  jobs  to  Sansarpur  hockey  players .  Such  individual’s  efforts  helped  a  great  deal  in  popularising  hockey in  initial  stages  in  Sansarpur . ( Rajinder  Singh  Kullar )