‘Our team became the last golden generation of Indian hockey’. Hockey news

Photo Credit: @IndiHistoryPic X

By Aslam Sher Khan
I still remember it as if it happened yesterday. Just before our semi -finals with host Malaysia, our team doctor Dr. Rajendra Kalra called me to his room. I was introduced and introduced to me. I do not know that Dr. Where Kalra managed to go to one, but I was so desperate to get into this action that I did not bother to inquire.
I was in the Indian team for a long time, yet I still got a chance to play in the World Cup. Every night I sleep with the belief that my time will come. Deeply I realized that this is going to be my tournament. Our manager Balbir Singh Senior could understand my uneasiness. He was also eager to see me playing.
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Pamist took my hand, entered into it, then saw me: “This tournament will not make you with anyone. You will get five minutes, which will change your life. “I just nodded my head.
The next day, we left Malaysia 2–1. We had 17 penalty corners, but even one failed to change. Looking at the barrel down, we prayed for an equal, when Michael Kindo was replaced. Balbir Singh called me and put his hand on my cheek, and told me, “Son, you go and save India.” His eyes were moist.

(photo Credit: Hockey India Video Grab)
We soon won the penalty corner again. The whole team came to me. This was when I realized the vastness of this opportunity and lack of time. The players were all watching me, of course, an entire nation too. Everyone was praying quietly. I cannot describe pressure. We must have been out. I had no choice but to score. There was very little space for error. Even the umpires will be rejected to the penalty corner with a little mistake – we were playing the hosts.
BP Govinda pushed an ideal and our captain, Ajitpal Singh stopped the ball cleanly for me to take the shot. Do I remember I kill it? Yes, I do now, then I just followed my instinct and my training. The shot grabbed the goalkeeper on his wrong leg, and it crashed into the board. There was a stunned silence in the crowd. I knew that I had broken the hearts of thousands of Malaysian fans. But at the same time, 65 crore people were given a big moment of happiness to return home.
All this drowned as soon as the match was over. Hundreds of Indian diasporaes, who were stopped waving slanting in the stand, threw the dressing room waving their flags. The crowd was so crazy that the local police had to resort to ‘sticks’ to control the mob. That goal created me – and my team, play India – final and rest, we know, history.

In India, we were probably unprecedented at the waiting reception. Wherever we went, there was the sea, crowd and crowd of people, just waiting to see us and we were bathing their love. Who is in India who wanted to share dais with us. We won the Olympic gold medal in hockey after independence, but in the 1970s, as a growing nation, people wanted to see a growing India on the world stage. This was a great recognition for the country.
Pakistan was then at the top of its game and was icing on the cake beating him in the final. At that time it is difficult to describe the mood of the nation in words. It was a strange feeling that has been in all these years.
I would like to mention two memories.
When we were visiting Punjab, people will shout, “Sharon’s lion, Aslam Lion!” It was inspiring because it was humble. Then in Bhopal, the crowd lifted an open jeep with his hands and brought it to the railway platform so that I could ride it immediately after getting out of the train. After the World Cup, the belief that was beyond my expectations crossed it.
I still get Gozbumps thinking about those moments.

The Hindi film industry was taken from our victory. We had heard that Raj Kapoor was planning a film as a background with India-Pakistan. He contacted me to become a hero. After decades, perhaps, after his death his studio’s first film was Henna, which reminded me of his original idea. Manoj Kumar wanted me to sign for five years with Rs 25,000 per month, a huge money in those days, but I politely turned down saying that I wanted to continue to play hockey only for India.
In Malaysia, in the moments after our victory, his king asked me to settle there with all his needs. A few years later, during a visit to the United States, I was asked to coach their women’s team for the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984. The contract included a green card and a permanent residence of the US. In a short time, life introduced me everything. What else can you ask for?
But I did the right thing; I chose my country. But every peak also has its own downside.

Within the months of our victory, the World Hockey Body decided to replace the grass with Astroturf. How will Europeans beat India and Pakistan, but to change the grammar of the game. We were so effective on the grass that Europeans thought that this was the best way. Therefore, in a way, with the 1975 World Cup, we were the last of the Golden Generation – a dynasty that began in the 1920s and continued for so many decades and threw such legends.
(Aslam Sher Khan scored India’s equality in the 1975 World Cup semi-finals, and India won 3–2 in extra time. He defeated Pakistan 2–1 in the final for his only World Cup title till date. Aslam in Bhopal, now 71, later became an MP from Betul. He spoke to Biswajyoti Brahma.)