The Autobiography of Balbir Singh (Senior)
By Samuel Banerjee, Vikas Publishers, 1977
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Celebrations at Home |
Nehru was the proudest man in the nation when we showed him
our gold medals in 1952 and 1956. "Your victories give our nation a certain
stature. Keep it up." he told us.
When Nehru met me during the opening ceremony of the Bhakra Canal, he asked me, "Are you playing hockey? Do you play every day? Are you all well and happy?" He had asked me so many questions in one breath that all I could answer was "Yes, sir." |
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e were
flooded with telegrams from home. The best we had was from our beloved Prime
Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who always took a keen interest in our
achievements.
Nehru was the proudest man in the nation when we showed him our gold medals both in 1952 and 1956. "Your victories give our nation a certain stature. Keep it up." he told us.
When Nehru met me during the opening ceremony of the Bhakra Canal, he asked me, "Are you playing hockey? Do you play every day? Are your other colleagues also playing seriously? Are they all well and happy?" He had asked me so many questions in one breath that all I could answer was "Yes, sir."
He held my arm and said, "You will have to win again. We must continue to remain world champions. Tell this to all your friends. They are the hopes of this nation."
As he prepared to go, he waved at me and said, "Any time you are in difficulty, you are free to come to me." Between 1948 and 1956, I called on Nehru at Teen Murti Bhavan several times. The moment his staff conveyed to him that Olympian Balbir wanted to meet him, he summoned me to his room and greeted me warmly.It was enough for me to get the blessings of this man, one who had given India a distinct stature among the world nations. I had the deepest regard for him. My father was elated when I told him how Nehru treated us.
A Hero's Welcome