Dhanraj Pillay is a retired Indian field hockey player and former captain of the India national team. He also looks after the Air India Sports Promotion Board as a Joint Secretary based in Mumbai. For the last 5 years, Dhanraj is overseeing the SAG Hockey Academy in Gujarat funded by the Gujarat Government. He is widely regarded as one of the best Indian players of hockey.
Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded by many as the greatest field hockey player in world history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, during an era where India dominated field hockey. His influence extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.
Kunwar Digvijay Singh, popularly known as "Babu", was an Indian field hockey player. He was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. He is widely known for his passing ability and is considered by many to be the greatest dribbler of the game comparable only to Dhyan Chand.
Leslie Walter Claudius was an Indian field hockey player from Bilaspur. He studied in South Eastern Railway English Medium School Bilaspur, which has produced many national sportsmen.
Keshav Chandra Dutt, also spelt as Keshav Datt, was an Indian field hockey player and played as a halfback. He was a part of the team that won gold medals at the 1948 and 1952 Olympics. He made 22 international appearances for India and scored two goals in his career. Keshav was the last surviving member of the Indian hockey team which participated at the 1948 London Olympic Games. He was regarded as one of the finest Indian hockey centre half-backs.
Muniswamy Rajgopal was an Indian field hockey player. He was a member of the India national team that won gold medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He was from his home State of Mysore to win an Olympic medal.
Honorary Captain Shankar Lakshman was an Indian hockey player who played as a goalkeeper. He was part of the Indian team in the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Olympics, that won two gold medals and one silver medal. He was the first goalkeeper to become captain of an international hockey team and was awarded the Arjuna award and the Padma Shri by the Indian government. He was captain of the Indian team which won the gold in the 1966 Asian Games. After missing the selection for the 1968 Olympics, Lakshman quit hockey. He remained with the Army, retiring in 1979 as a captain of the Maratha Light Infantry. He died in 2006 after suffering gangrene in one leg in Mhow.
Harbinder Singh is a former field hockey player from India. He started his international career in 1961 at the age of 18 years [youngest member of the team] with a tour to New Zealand and Australia with Indian hockey team. During the span of 12 years from 1961 to 1972 had represented the country in three Olympics – Tokyo 1964 — gold medal [scored highest field goals – 5 out of 9 goals], Mexico 1968 — bronze medal [scored highest field goals – 6 out of 11, including hat-trick against Mexico] and was also selected as a centre forward in the "World XI", in Munich 1972 — bronze medal.
The India men's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey competitions, and is governed by Hockey India. The team was formerly under the control of Indian Hockey Federation. India was the first non-European team to be a part of the International Hockey Federation. India's hockey team is the most successful team ever in the Olympics, having won a total of eight gold medals – in 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964 and 1980.
Michael Kindo was an Indian field hockey player from the tribal belt of Jharkhand. He played at full back defender position and represented India and competed in the 1971 Men's Hockey World Cup, 1972 Summer Olympics, 1973 Men's Hockey World Cup, 1974 Asian Games, 1975 Men's Hockey World Cup. Prior to this he had competed in several local, national and regional competitions. In 1972, he became the first Adivasi sportsperson to be awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award.
Ashish Kumar Ballal is a former Indian goalkeeper of field hockey. He represented India in 275 international matches in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, the 1990 World cup, 3 Champions Trophy tournaments, 2 Asian Games and 2 Asia Cups. Ballal became a household name in India when he saved two tie-breaker goals in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games final against South Korea. India, captained by Ballal, went on to win the Asiad hockey gold at Bangkok after a gap of 32 years.
Ram Kumar is a former Indian basketball player and coach of the junior Indian team. He is currently the coach of the Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala team, and has been a long-standing coach of the Indian Railways men's team. He played for India during 1985 to 1996 and represented the Indian national basketball team at several international championships. He also served as the captain of Indian national basketball team from 1991 to 1995. He played the position of shooting guard. In the National Championships, Ram Kumar represented Indian Railways and during his playing days, Indian Railways won eight Gold, three Silver, and three Bronze medals. Ram Kumar is the son of former basketball player Khushi Ram, an Arjuna awardee and the brother of Ashok Kumar, also an India international player. Considered India's best all-time shooter, he is the 2003 recipient of India's highest sporting honor, the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement in sports.
Mukhbain Singh is an Indian field hockey player. He won the bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
Rajinder Singh Chauhan, also known as Rajinder Singh Jr., is an Indian field hockey player and coach. He was part of the Indian teams that won the silver medal at the 1982 Asian Games, the bronze medal at the 1982 Champions Trophy, and the silver medal at the 1983 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He coached the Indian women's team in 2004 and the Indian men's team in 2005-2006.
Shabbir Ali is an Indian football manager and former player. He was awarded the Dhyan Chand Award, the highest award in Indian sports for lifetime achievement, given by Government of India in 2011. He is the first footballer to be named for the Dhyan Chand Award.
The 1975 Hockey World Cup was the third edition of the Hockey World Cup men's field hockey tournament. It was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In the final, India defeated Pakistan from a goal difference of 2–1. Surjit Singh scored the first crucial goal followed with the winner from Ashok Kumar. It was the second World Cup Final appearance for both the nations; Pakistan was the winner of the inaugural World Cup in 1971, and India, the runner-up of 1973 edition. Germany defeated hosts, Malaysia, with a goal difference of 4–0 for third place.
The India–Pakistan field hockey rivalry is among the most intense sports rivalries in the Asia and the world in the sport of field hockey. India and Pakistan have played against each other several times in field hockey. They participate in World Cup, FIH Pro League, Summer Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asia Cup, Men's Asian Champions Trophy, Asian Games, South Asian Games and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
Jagbir Singh the former Indian field hockey Centre Forward represented India in two Olympics, 1990 World Cup and was a leading light of the Indian team in all the major tournaments, for a decade, from 1985–95, including two Asian Games, the 1989 Asia Cup & Champions trophy.
Balbir Singh Dosanjh, predominantly known as Balbir Singh Sr., was an Indian hockey player and coach. He was a three-time Olympic gold medallist, having played a key role in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952), and Melbourne (1956) Olympics. He is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time, a modern-day Dhyan Chand, a legend of the sport, and is widely regarded as the sport's greatest ever centre-forward. His Olympic record for most goals scored by an individual in an Olympic men's hockey final remains unbeaten. Singh set this record when he scored five goals in India's 6–1 victory over the Netherlands in the men's field hockey final of the 1952 Olympic Games. He was often called Balbir Singh Senior to distinguish him from other Indian hockey players named Balbir Singh. Singh scored 246 goals from just 61 international caps
Major Manna Singh was an Indian field hockey player and officer in the British Indian Army. He was the coach of Indian field hockey team.
