The Mastermind of Hockey Attack

Kunwar Digvijay Singh, responsible for scoring some of the fastest and highest scores in the Indian Hockey team and the vice-captain of the gold-winning 1948 Hockey team, passed away today in 1978.

Kunwar Digvijay Singh in action; Source: Public Domain

KD Singh or Kunwar Digvijay Singh was a 1922-born Indian field hockey player. His teammates would affectionately call him Babu. He would start his career early - by 1937, he was already playing for his college, and then for the Uttar Pradesh team for National Hockey tournaments for two decades after that. In the middle, Singh would get the time to achieve some of the most brilliant skills in hockey playing.

He was a striker, and one of the fastest. He was selected in the All India Hockey team back in 1946. While on his first tour in Afghanistan, Singh would keep rising to the top of the hockey goal hierarchy.

In 1947, at a tour of East Africa, he would even beat Dhyan Chand’s 63 scores by his own 70.

He would be chosen as the Vice-Captain of the Indian Hockey team in 1948, and would be quite under the pressure - this was the first Hockey game Independent India was playing, not as a part of the British crown. India once more stunned the world by bringing the gold home.

This was not a new feat - in 1928, 1932 and 1936 too India had been the gold medalist, but this time it was the free country’s first gold, not a commonwealth colony.

His style is best described by the comments of newspapers on his 1948 campaign - "Babu’s performance was as near to perfection as was possible. Scintillating dribbling and adroit through passes characterized his play and he was the chief instigator in completely tying the dogged England defence. On many occasions, he dribbled past the whole defence with ease throughout the tournament. He was the brain behind the attacks. It is tempting to write that Babu is as elusive as Dhyan Chand."

Kunwar Digvijay Singh would also be the Indian team coach in the 1972 Olympics and would pass away on the 27th of March, 1978, leaving behind a blistering legacy.