Dharam Singh (field hockey)

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Olympic medal record
Men's field hockey
Gold	1952 Helsinki	Team Competition
Gold	1964 Tokyo	Team Competition

Dharam Singh (January 19, 1919 – December 5, 2001) was an Indian field hockey player who played as a right back in the Gold medal winning team at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games. He was the Team coach of the Indian team that won the Gold Medal at Tokyo in 1964.

Born in Gandiwind in the Amritsar district, Dharam Singh had a passion for hockey since childhood. Running barefoot with a stick and ball on the dusty village streets, he displayed strong motivation to don national colours. As a school student at Sarhali, the young Dharam Singh played a key role in his school team’s triumph in the prestigious Divali Trophy for three years. When Dharam Singh shifted to Gujranwala school from where he passed his matric the trophy followed him.

In 1941, Dharam Singh joined Khalsa College, Amritsar, and later represented Panjab University. In 1945, the Nawab of Manavadar invited Dharam Singh to join his newly established team where again he played a key role the outfit’s memorable triumphs.

In 1948, Dharam Singh was supposed to attend the national camp but his brother’s murder came as a big shock and he had to abandon his plans. Finally, he made his debut in the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, and playing alongside players like Randhir Singh Gentle, Dharam Singh’s role in the historic gold-medal victory came in for special mention in hockey circles.

In 1964, Dharam Singh donned the coach’s mantle and steered India to another memorable title win in the Tokyo Olympics. He remained active as a coach, handling national assignments for various Asian meets. He had joined the Punjab Sports Department in 1961 from where he retired as senior coach in 1978.

Dharam Singh suffered brain haemorrhage after a fall in his bathroom in December 2001, and was admitted to the PGI where his condition remained critical. He showed no signs of recovery until his death that same month in Chandigarh.