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Planet Field Hockey

Remembering India’s first Hockey captain in his centenary year.

The year 2003 is the centenary year of late Jaipal Singh – the man who among the Indian Hockey greats holds a unique place. He was the first Indian captain under whose captaincy India began its glorious journey to the top of the hockey world by wining its first ever Olympic gold at Amsterdam in 1928. India’s performance in these Games was so dominating, artistic and proficient that it opened a new chapter in the sports history.
Born on January 3, 1903 in the royal family of Khooty state, now in the newly formed Jharkhand state, Jaipal Singh started playing hockey while studying in St. Paul School at Ranchi. He soon developed into a good hockey player with immense sense of leadership. After completing his school education he went to England for further study and it was there only he could polish his skill and technique and earn a name for himself in the English hockey circle. He played a lot of hockey in England and was an important member of the Oxford University team. He played as a deep defender – his clean tackling, sensible game play and well directed hard hits were the hallmarks of his game.
When all the hurdles were cleared and stage was set for India’s maiden participation in the Olympic Games in 1928 he was chosen as a skipper to lead the team on this grand occasion. He was in England at that time and asked to join the team directly there. Indian team played as many as 17 matches in England, Holland, Germany and Belgium prior to its final show down. The team won 16 of them and drew another. The team scored a total of 135 goals and conceded just 19.
India took on Austria on May 17, 1928 to make its historical debut in the Olympic Games. The team emerged triumphant 6-0 in this opening tie and then defeated Belgium 9-0, Denmark 5-0 and Switzerland 6-0 to make the final against Holland. India won the battle 3-0 and gold medal. Jaipal Singh, who led the team with dignity, was not the part of the team in this splendid victory. He had left the team after the league phase following dispute with the English manager AB Rosser. Vice Captain Eric Penninger led the team in his absence.
On return from England in 1929, he joined the Mohan Bagan Club of Calcutta and led its team in various tournaments. During his stint with the Club, it became one of the leading clubs in India. After saying good bye to active hockey, he served as a secretary of Bengal Hockey Association and as a member of Indian Sports Council. He also served the nation as a member of the Parliament. He breathed his last on March 20, 1970 in Delhi but his name will remain in the hearts of the hockey lovers of this country.

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