>Citation bot at 12:15, 13 September 2021

2021-09-13T12:15:29Z

New page

{{short description|Indian field hockey player}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox field hockey player
| name = Leslie Walter Claudius
| award = Padma Shri
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1927|03|25|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|2012|12|20|1927|3|25}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], India
| height = 5 ft 4 in
| position = [[Field hockey#Formations|Halfback]]
| clubs1 = Bengal Nagpur Railway
Calcutta Customs Club
| years1 =
| caps(goals)1 =
| nationalteam1 = [[India men's national field hockey team|India]]
| nationalyears1 = 1948–1960
| nationalcaps(goals)1 = 100+
| nationalgoals1 =
| updated =
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Field hockey|Field Hockey]] }}
{{MedalCountry | {{IND}} }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Field hockey at the Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]] }} [[File:Olympic rings.svg|center|80px]]
{{MedalGold | [[1948 Summer Olympics|1948 London]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Helsinki]] | }}
{{MedalGold | [[1956 Summer Olympics|1956 Melbourne]] | }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Rome]] | }}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Asian Games]] }}
{{MedalSilver | [[1958 Asian Games|1958 Tokyo]] | }}
}}

'''Leslie Walter Claudius''' (25 March 1927<ref name=sref>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/leslie-claudius-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235310/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/leslie-claudius-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2020 |access-date=20 December 2012}}</ref> – 20 December 2012<ref>{{cite news|title= Hockey legend Leslie Claudius passes away|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_hockey-legend-leslie-claudius-passes-away_1779845|date=20 Dec 2012|agency=PTI|newspaper=DNA India|access-date=2012-12-20}}</ref>) was an [[India]]n [[field hockey]] player from [[Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh|Bilaspur]]. He studied in South Eastern Railway (Now SECR) English Medium School Bilaspur which has produced many national sportsmen.

Leslie Claudius shares with [[Udham Singh (field hockey)|Udham Singh]] the distinction of being one of only two Indian players to win four Olympic medals in field hockey. To his gold medals in [[Field hockey at the 1948 Summer Olympics|1948]], [[Field hockey at the 1952 Summer Olympics|1952]] and [[Field hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956]], he added silver in [[Field hockey at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960]] when he captained the team. He was the first player ever to earn 100 caps, and competed for India, in addition to the Olympics, on their European tour of 1949, Malaysian tour of 1952, Australian and New Zealand tours of 1955, and at the 3rd [[Field hockey at the 1958 Asian Games|Asian Games in 1958]]. After the 1960 Olympics, he continued to compete domestically, retiring after the 1965 season. In 1971, he became the sixth Indian hockey player to be given the [[Padma Shri]] Civil award by the Indian government.

Leslie Claudius had joined Calcutta Customs Department as Preventive Officer and retired as Assistant Collector of Customs. He was a member of Calcutta Customs Club and represented the Calcutta Port Customs Commissionerate in the Aga Khan Tournament in 1948. Leslie Claudius not only brought international glory but also kept the Calcutta Customs Club flag flying high.
<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20200417235310/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/cl/leslie-claudius-1.html Leslie Claudius at Sports Reference]</ref>

==Career==
===Early career===
Claudius was initially interested in [[Association football|football]] and as an accomplished player, he got a chance to play for the Bengal and Nagpur Railway. But, his talent in field hockey was spotted by Dickie Carr, who was a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Olympics]]. Claudius was then inducted into the Bengal and Nagpur Railway hockey team that Carr was a part of. The team finished second in the [[Beighton Cup]] and Claudius quit football for hockey.<ref name="profile">{{cite news |title= Leslie Claudius Profile |url= http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/hockey/players/leslie-claudius.html |publisher= Iloveindia |access-date= 22 July 2013}}</ref>

===International career===
Claudius was a member of India's generation of hockey that won the Olympic gold in [[Field hockey at the 1948 Summer Olympics|1948]], [[Field hockey at the 1952 Summer Olympics|1952]] and [[Field hockey at the 1956 Summer Olympics|1956]] and silver in [[Field hockey at the 1960 Summer Olympics|1960]].<ref name=sref/> He was the first hockey player to have competed in four Olympics and also the first to earn a hundred international caps.<ref>{{cite magazine |title= Football's envy, hockey's pride |url= http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2903/stories/20060121000906600.htm |magazine= Sportstar |access-date= 22 July 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071006094745/http://www.tssonnet.com/tss2903/stories/20060121000906600.htm |archive-date= 6 October 2007 |url-status= dead }}</ref> He captained the Indian team for the first team in 1959, with [[Dhyan Chand]], often considered India's greatest hockey player ever as the coach, and led them to the second-place finish at the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympics]] in [[Rome]].<ref name=" profile" />[[File:1952- Helsinki Olympic Gold Medal winning team with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.TIF|thumb|right|215px|Helsinki Olympic Gold Medal Winning Team with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru In 1952]]

===Team Manager===
Claudius was appointed as the manager of the Indian team in 1978 for the [[1978 Asian Games|Bangkok Asian Games]].

==Personal life==
Claudius was of [[Anglo-Indian]] descent. His son, Robert, was also an Indian international who represented his country at the World Cup in Mexico in 1978. Leslie died after a prolonged battle with cirrhosis of liver.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/sports/story/leslie-Claudius-hockey-Olympics-hockey-gold-medal-London-Indian-hockey-team-124877-2012-12-20|title=End of an era: Hockey legend Leslie Claudius passes away after prolonged illness|last1=KolkataDecember 20|first1=IANS|last2=December 21|first2=2012UPDATED|website=India Today|language=en|access-date=2019-06-04|last3=Ist|first3=2012 16:02}}</ref> Leslie had three more sons, one who stayed with him in Kolkata and two who live in Melbourne.

==Awards and recognition==
* In 1971 he was awarded the [[List of Padma Shri award recipients (1970–79)|Padma Shri]].
* Mention in the [[Guinness World Records|Guinness Book of World Records]] along with [[Udham Singh (field hockey)|Udham Singh]] for having won the most number of Olympic medals in field hockey.<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian hockey great Leslie Claudius passes away|url=http://www.firstpost.com/sports/indian-hockey-great-leslie-claudius-passes-away-564677.html|date=20 Dec 2012|agency=FP sports|work=Firstpost|access-date=2012-12-20}}</ref>
* In 2011 The West Bengal Chief Minister [[Mamata Banerjee]] presented the Bharat Gaurav award instituted by [[East Bengal Club]] to Leslie Claudius.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-otherstates/an-honour/article2315178.ece|title = An honour|newspaper = The Hindu|date = 2 August 2011}}</ref>
* For the 2012 Olympics, the Bushey tube station was renamed after Claudius in the special "Olympic Legends Map". He was one of six all-time hockey greats who were honored in this manner.
* In 2012 he was awarded [[Banga Bibhushan|The Banga Bibhushan]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/sports/bengal-hockey-needs-to-get-its-act-together/article4108650.ece|title = Bengal hockey needs to get its act together}}</ref>

==Death==
Claudius died in [[Kolkata]] on 20 December 2012, after a prolonged battle with [[Cirrhosis|cirrhosis of liver]]. He was survived by his wife and three sons. He is buried in [[Lower Circular Road cemetery]], [[Kolkata]].

==See also==
*[[List of Indian field hockey captains in Olympics]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Olympic medalists for India}}
{{India FH Squad 1948 Summer Olympics}}
{{India FH Squad 1952 Summer Olympics}}
{{India FH Squad 1956 Summer Olympics}}
{{India FH Squad 1960 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Claudius, Leslie}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:Field hockey players from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Field hockey players from Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Olympic field hockey players of India]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Indian male field hockey players]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for India]]
[[Category:Indian Christians]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Olympic medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Deaths from cirrhosis]]
[[Category:Asian Games medalists in field hockey]]
[[Category:Field hockey players at the 1958 Asian Games]]
[[Category:People from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1960 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1956 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1948 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Asian Games silver medalists for India]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1958 Asian Games]]
[[Category:Anglo-Indian people]]

Leslie Claudius - Revision history

>Citation bot at 12:15, 13 September 2021