https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Balbir_Singh_KularBalbir Singh Kular - Revision history2026-07-30T23:54:25ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Balbir_Singh_Kular&diff=372208&oldid=prevBot at 02:24, 5 October 20222022-10-05T02:24:53Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Distinguish|Balbir Singh Kullar|Balbir Singh, Sr.|Balbir Singh (field hockey, born 1945)}}<br />
{{short description|Indian field hockey player}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}<br />
{{Infobox sportsperson<br />
| honorific_prefix = [[Colonel]]<br />
| name = Balbir Singh Kular<br />
| honorific_suffix = [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]]<br />
| image = <br />
| caption = <br />
| headercolor = lightsteelblue<br />
| native_name = <br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| fullname = <br />
| nickname = Balbir Singh (Services)<br />
| nationality = Indian<br />
| residence = [[Jalandhar]]<br />
| ethnicity = [[Khullar]]<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|04|05|df=yes}}<ref>[http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/janmadin/april.htm Bharatiya Hockey]</ref><br />
| birth_place = [[Sansarpur]]<br />
| alma_mater = Cant. Board School, Jalandhar<br />
| occupation = [[Indian Army]] Officer (Colonel)<br />
| years_active = <br />
| website = <br />
| country = India<br />
| sport = [[Field hockey]]<br />
| event = Men's team<br />
| team = [[India men's national field hockey team|India]] (International)<br />Services (National)<br />Punjab State (National)<br />
| retired = 1970s<br />
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[field hockey]] }}<br />
{{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}<br />
{{MedalCompetition | [[Summer Olympic Games|Summer Olympics]] }}<br />
{{MedalBronze | [[1968 Summer Olympics|1968 Mexico City]] | [[Field hockey at the 1968 Summer Olympics|Team]] }}<br />
{{MedalCompetition | [[Asian Games]] }}<br />
{{MedalGold | [[1966 Asian Games|1966 Bangkok]] | [[Field hockey at the Asian Games|Team]] }}<br />
| show-medals = yes<br />
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes<br />
| allegiance = {{Flag|India}}<br />
| branch = {{Army|India}}<br />
| serviceyears = <br />
| rank = [[File:Colonel of the Indian Army.svg|25px]] [[Colonel]]<br />
| unit = <br />
| awards = [[File:Vishisht Seva Medal ribbon.svg|30px]] [[Vishisht Seva Medal]]<br />
}}<br />
| module2 = Also served as a coach, manager and selector for the Indian national hockey team<br />
| updated = 9 June 2012<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[Colonel (India)|Colonel]] '''Balbir Singh Kular''', [[Vishisht Seva Medal|VSM]] (born 5 April 1945) is an Indian [[field hockey]] player (half-back). He is also known as Balbir Singh Kullar/Khullar, or simply as Balbir Singh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Official Home Page of the Indian Army |url=https://indianarmy.nic.in/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=www.indianarmy.nic.in}}</ref><br />
<br />
Balbir Singh was born in the [[Sansarpur]] village of the [[Jalandhar district]], and later settled in the [[Jalandhar]] city. As part of the Indian Universities Hockey Team, he played in Afghanistan in 1962. In 1964, he represented the [[Punjab, India|Punjab]] state in the National Hockey Championship at Delhi.<br />
<br />
In 1965, Balbir Singh joined the [[Indian Army]] and later, rose to the rank of [[Colonel (India)|Colonel]]. As a member of the national hockey team, he toured Europe (1966–1968), Japan (1966), Kenya (1967) and Uganda (1968).<br />
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Balbir Singh was part of the India hockey teams that won the [[Field hockey at the Asian Games|Asian Games Gold in 1966]] and the [[Field hockey at the 1968 Summer Olympics|Olympic Bronze in 1968]].<ref>MS Unnikrishnan (29 May 2012), [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120529/sports.htm#5 Tracing the history of Indian hockey: From ‘Sansarpur to London Olympics’]. The Tribune, Chandigarh.</ref> He scored three goals in the 1968 Olympics.<br />
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During 1965–1974, Balbir Singh represented the Services team in the National Hockey Championship of India. He was the captain of the Services team that won the Bombay Gold Cup in 1971.<br />
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Balbir Singh retired from active play in the 1970s due to knee problems. He coached the ASC hockey team during 1970–1980. He then coached the Central Zone team (1981), the Indian men's hockey team (1982) and the women's hockey team (1995–98). With him as the coach in 1982, the Indian men's team won Bronze at the [[Hockey Champions Trophy|Champions Trophy]] in Amsterdam, Silver at the [[1982 Asian Games|Asian Games]] in Delhi and Silver at the 1982 Esanda World Hockey Championship in Melbourne. He also served as a selector for the Indian national hockey team from March 1987 to July 1987, and as its manager for during the Indo-[[Pan American Hockey Federation|Pan American]] Hockey Championship (Chandigarh) in 1995.<br />
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Balbir Singh later served as the president of Sansarpur Hockey Association. His autobiography ''Sansarpur to London Olympics'' was launched by the Indian Army General [[Vijay Kumar Singh|V K Singh]] in 2012.<ref>[http://zeenews.india.com/sports/london-olympics-2012/olympian-balbir-singh-kular-s-autobiography-launched_742930.html Olympian Balbir Singh Kular’s autobiography launched]. IBN Live, 29 May 2012.</ref><br />
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== Awards and recognition ==<br />
<br />
* [[Vishisht Seva Medal]]<br />
* [[Arjuna Award]] (1968); as "Cadet Balbir Singh"<br />
* Chief of Army Staff Commendation Card<br />
* Lifetime Achievement award (1999)<br />
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Balbir Singh was one of the four players to be featured on the special commemorative stamp released on 31 December 1966 by [[Indian Postal Service|India Post]], as a tribute to the Gold medal win at the 1966 Asian Games; the other three were Vinood Kumar, [[John Peter (field hockey)|John Victor Peter]] and [[Mukhbain Singh]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hockeyonstamps.com/File.ashx?id=119899&cid=272 |title=Field Hockey stamp: India |access-date=9 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081226225432/http://www.hockeyonstamps.com/Photos/India%201966%20stamp%20Info.pdf |archive-date=26 December 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{sports links}}<br />
<br />
{{India FH Squad 1966 Asian Games}}<br />
{{India FH Squad 1968 Summer Olympics}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kular, Balbir Singh}}<br />
[[Category:1945 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Field hockey players from Jalandhar]]<br />
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for India]]<br />
[[Category:Olympic field hockey players of India]]<br />
[[Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey]]<br />
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]<br />
[[Category:Indian male field hockey players]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Army officers]]<br />
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in field hockey]]<br />
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1966 Asian Games]]<br />
[[Category:Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics]]<br />
[[Category:Asian Games gold medalists for India]]<br />
[[Category:Medalists at the 1966 Asian Games]]</div>Bot