Balbir (90), a three-time Olympic gold medallist, looks back with satisfaction at his long tryst with the game but feels he has not got the honour he deserves. The gentle and soft-spoken Balbir, who has only got Padma Shri for his efforts, said it does hurt to get the snub but ‘awards and rewards are prerogative of the government.’
‘If my records and achievements as a player, as a captain, as a coach, as a manager and as an administrator are taken into account, then I should get (Bharat Ratna). But it is either up to God or the prerogative of the government,’ Balbir said.
‘He has created world history. I am very passionate about him. I want the government to do justice this time. Let the system be transparent. At the moment, it is not transparent because if it was, comparing the performance of all the players, one could choose the right person,’ Balbir’s daughter Sushbir Kaur said.
A close associate of Balbir and vice-president of Chandigarh Hockey Association, S K Gupta too said being a triple Olympic gold medallist, a victorious Olympic captain, chief coach and manager of India’s only World Cup winning team in 1975 and as one of the 16 ‘iconic Olympians’ across all disciplines since 1896, the start of the modern Olympic era, Balbir deserves more.
‘It is unfortunate he has not been given his due. He deserves a Bharat Ratna,’ Gupta said.
‘If my records and achievements as a player, as a captain, as a coach, as a manager and as an administrator are taken into account, then I should get (Bharat Ratna). But it is either up to God or the prerogative of the government,’ Balbir said.
‘He has created world history. I am very passionate about him. I want the government to do justice this time. Let the system be transparent. At the moment, it is not transparent because if it was, comparing the performance of all the players, one could choose the right person,’ Balbir’s daughter Sushbir Kaur said.
A close associate of Balbir and vice-president of Chandigarh Hockey Association, S K Gupta too said being a triple Olympic gold medallist, a victorious Olympic captain, chief coach and manager of India’s only World Cup winning team in 1975 and as one of the 16 ‘iconic Olympians’ across all disciplines since 1896, the start of the modern Olympic era, Balbir deserves more.
‘It is unfortunate he has not been given his due. He deserves a Bharat Ratna,’ Gupta said.