NAIROBI (TIP): The centenary celebration s of the Sikh Union Club, Nairobi, would go down in the annals of hockey as one single venue outside India to witness the largest gathering of Olympians and World Cuppers
Olympians from India, Great Britain, Canada, Malaysia and the hosts Kenya added sheen and glamour to the weeklong hockey festival that also together several World Cuppers, both juniors and seniors, and others who donned national colors but could not make it to Olympic Games.
Besides, Olympians who remained associated with Sikh Union Club, there were many others who donned national colors of the countries of their domicile and attended the centenary celebrations here.
Prominent among them was Kulbir Singh Bhaura, who originally hails from Jalandhar district in Punjab, represented Great Britain in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. He is the only Sikh hockey Olympian to win a gold and a bronze for a country other than India. Incidentally, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Games where India drew a blank in medals, two members of Indian Diaspora, both Punjabis, were on the podium.
Alexi Singh Grewal, whose father supports turban even today, more than 50 years after migrating to the US, won the grueling road race in cycling to become first player of Indian descent to win an individual gold. Incidentally, Alexi Singh also became the first individual Olympic gold medalist to marry on Indian soil. He is wedded to Manjit of Jabalpur.
And in the sand 1984 games, Kulbir Bhaura as an important member of the Great Britain hockey became the second player of Indian descent to win a medal. The GB team won a bronze.
Four years later, Kulbir Bhaura again played a stellar role in the GB team’s historic gold medal triumph. Kulbir is thus the only player of Indian descent to win a gold a bronze in Olympic Genes for a country other than India.
And when the Sikh Union Club held its celebrations, Kulbir Bhaura, a key member of Indian Gymkhana, London, flew in here to join the celebrations. Indian Gymkhana in London is the oldest club of Indian expatriates while Sikh Union Ckub in Nairobi is the oldest club of Sikh expatriates.
The celebrations brought two great hockey Olympians who have been on the victory podium with gold medals hanging around their necks. They were none other than Kulbir Singh Bhaura (1988, Seoul) and Rajinder Singh Senior (1980, Moscow). Though they represented different countries but had so many commonalities – state of origin and the sport.
Also present in Nairobi was Sarjit Singh, who led Malaysia in Olympic Games.
Needless to say that of 26 Olympians and 11 Hockey World Cuppers, the Sikh Union has produced, some, including three Marwa brothers – Amarjeet, Harvinder Gora, and Satpal – besides Resham Singh Bains, Harvinderpal Singh Sibia, Surjit Singh Rihal, Ravinder Singh Laly Rhoda, Tarlochan Chana Tochi , Ranjeev Deol ( he represented Canada while his father Surjeet Singh Deol led Kenya in 1956) and legendary Avtar Singh Sohal added glamour to the celebrations.
Last but not the least, Kuljit Singh Dhatt and Satpal Marwa were members of the ill-fated Kenyan Olympic hockey team that had to leave the Olympics village in Montreal at the last-minute African boycott against apartheid of South Africa. Both were here to join the celebrations.
Other than Sarjit Singh, Malaysians brought in Olympian Kuhan Shammuganathan as a member of its Matador team. He was declared best veteran player of the tournament.
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