Exhibition match, progs to mark Babu’s 100th birth anniv

Lucknow: Fatehpur tehsil in Barabanki district, the native place of the doyen of Indian hockey, KD Singh ‘

Babu

’, will fondly remember the legend on his 100th birth anniversary on Wednesday (February 2).Events will be held in Fatehpur to celebrate the life of the legend.Besides, an exhibition match will be played between Babu XI and Sharma XI at 3pm at KD Singh ‘Babu’ Society Ground in Lucknow. Hockey players trained by the

KD Singh Babu

Society, who have won gold and silver medals in national and international hockey tournaments, will also be felicitated.These players include Deepak Patel, Shardanand Tewari, Amir Ali, Prateek Nigam, Arun Sahni,

Vikas Gond

, Manish Sahni, Shahrukh Ali and hockey coach (SAI) Rashid Azeez. Born on February 2, 1922, ‘Babu’ was instrumental in India’s two successive gold medal feats at London and Helsinki Olympics, in 1948 and 1952, respectively. In 1953, he was awarded the Helms Trophy, thereby becoming the best sportsman of Asia and best hockey player of the world. Though he retired in 1959 but never bade adieu to hockey. In the last two decades of his life, ‘Babu’ nurtured budding talent and was instrumental in setting up two sports hostels and three sports colleges, besides NIS, Patiala.Recalling his association with the legend, his disciple and Olympian

Syed Ali

said, “UP’s sports hostels and sports colleges are KD Singh Babu’s gifts to sportspersons.” Another disciple and Olympian Sujit Kumar said KD Singh ‘Babu’ was the ‘pitaamah’ (grand old man) of sports. “KD Singh ‘Babu’ was a great player. He gave a new identity to India in the world through sports. He was a guide to all of us. We have to follow his path and strengthen the foundation laid by him. We should try our best to strengthen the institutions created by him. This will be the true tribute to him,” Olympian Lalit Upadhyay said.
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