“You’re booked” is a series of recommended sporting reads by international sports commentator, Ashley Morrison. An avid book reader and sports lover, these reads are curated from his personal collection of over 1500 sports books.
Three time Olympic Hockey Gold medallist Balbir Singh recently passed awayat the age of 96. There was an outpouring of emotion when he passed away but to many in India he lived a life in which his achievements were never given the acknowledgement that they deserved. This book tries to explore the reasons why that was the case. Why a country forgot one of its greatest icons. Balbir Singh lived through the bloody partition of India and was a key part of their continued hockey success afterwards. He was also the Team Manager when India won to date its only Hockey World Cup in 1975. A Forgotten Legend not only tells the tale of Balbir Singh’s life but also the evolving of India as an economic powerhouse and how events impacted on his life.
In 2012 Balbir Singh was chosen as one of 16 athletes by the IOC for a special exhibit The Olympic Journey: The Story of The Games. He was flown to London as their guest and appeared on television and at various events. He was the only Athlete from South East Asia, and the only hockey player featured.
“It was one event after another, handshakes, hugs and accolades. Singh Sr. was an international hero, a VIP, atop the sporting world’s history books where he belonged…. But something was off, something wasn’t right. Back in India his appearance was almost non-existent in the newspapers and national media. Here was one of their own, basking in the glow of the most hyped Olympics in decades, and its poster boy was being almost completely ignored.”
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