Indian hockey legend Balbir Singh Sr dies at 95

India’s Olympic hockey hero Balbir Singh, who won three Olympic hockey golds, has died at the age of 95.

According to Balbir Singh’s family, he has died suddenly aged 95. Singh was in teams that won the Olympic title in London in 1948 and Helsinki in 1952 and led the side that won in Melbourne in 1956.

His five goals in the 6-1 defeat of the Netherlands in 1952 remain a record for an Olympic final.

India beat the former colonial power Great Britain 4-0 in 1948 final which came only a few months after his country’s troubled independence.

Balbir Singh: Hockey icon who never let India down

Balbir Singh scored two of India’s goals at Wembley stadium and became one of the biggest stars of the Games. “I was on top of the world,” he said later.

“It was very special to beat the former rulers in their country.”

World Cup team captain in 1975 Ajit Pal Singh said, “He [Balbir] was a hard taskmaster.” Balbir was also the manager of the Indian side that won the 1975 World Cup.

“I still remember how he imbibed, self-belief and unity which helped us to win,” Pal Singh told a news agency.

Singh was one of the key figures in India’s golden era of hockey dominance. The men’s team have not won an Olympic title since their eighth gold at the 1980 Moscow Games.

He had been in hospital after suffering three heart attacks in recent weeks.