Quick Info→
Height: 5′ 11″
Hometown: Jalandhar
Age: 75 Years
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Profession | Field Hockey Player |
| Famous for | Being a part of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team that won the Hockey World Cup in 1975 |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height (approx.) | in centimeters– 180 cm in meters– 1.80 m in feet & inches– 5’ 11” |
| Weight (approx.) | in kilograms– 58 kg in pounds– 128 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Brown |
| Hair Colour | Brown |
| Hockey | |
| Domestic/State Team(s) | Indian Railways Hockey Team |
| Medal(s) |
Olympic Games • Bronze Medal at 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich Hockey World Cup Asian Games |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 16 May 1947 (Friday) |
| Birthplace | Village Dhannowali, Jalandhar, Punjab (then-British Raj), India |
| Date of Death | 28 June 2022 |
| Place of Death | Jalandhar, Punjab |
| Age (at the time of death) | 75 Years |
| Zodiac sign | Taurus |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Hometown | Village Dhannowali near Jalandhar, Punjab, India |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Relationships & More | |
| Marital Status (at the time of death) | Not Known |
| Family | |
| Wife/Spouse | Not Known |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Varinder Singh
- Varinder Singh was an Indian field hockey player. He was an integral part of the only world-cup-winning Indian hockey team; the Indian men’s hockey team won the 1975 Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, by beating Pakistan by 2-1 in the final.
Varinder Singh (fourth from right) with other members of the Indian Men’s Hockey team which won the 1975 Hockey World Cup
- He was passionate about the game from a very young age and got trained in hockey in his teenage.
An old picture of Varinder Singh
- He was an integral part of some of the memorable victories of the Indian Hockey Team in 1970s. He was considered one of the best right-half hockey players in India during the 1970s.
- In 1972, Singh played for the Indian Hockey team that won a bronze medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics. He was also a part of the 1973 World Cup-winning Indian Hockey squad.
- He had to his credit two silver medals at the 1974 and 1978 Asian Games, respectively.
- He also played for the team India in the 1975 Montreal Olympics (hockey).
- In 1976, Virender competed in the Summer Olympics.
- After retiring from the game, Varinder associated with a few coaching institutions (that provide coaching in hockey) as a hockey coach; he provided coaching to Punjab and Sind Bank hockey team for more than eight years.
- In 2007, Varinder was conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award by the then-President of India Pratibha Patil for his immense contribution to Indian Hockey.
Varinder Singh receiving Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award
- In 2008, he got appointed as the coach of the Punjab Sports department and worked there till 2021.
- In 2021, Singh joined a private academy as a hockey coach.
- On 28 June 2022, at the age of 75, he passed away at a hospital in Jalandhar. The Indian Hockey Federation was deeply saddened by the news of his demise. The federation while mourning the death of Varinder in a press release, said,
Varinder Singh’s achievements will be remembered by the hockey fraternity worldwide.”
Hockey India also took to Twitter to express its grief. The federation tweeted,
In light of the tragic passing of the great Hockey player Shri Varinder Singh, we pray to the Almighty to grant the departed person’s soul eternal rest and to provide the family members the fortitude to endure this irreparable loss.”
A post made by Hockey India in rememberance of Varinder Singh
- In a media conversation, Avtar Singh, coach at the Surjit Hockey Academy, Jalandhar, while talking about Singh’s demise said that it was a huge loss for the Indian as well as Punjab hockey. He said,
It’s a huge loss for Indian hockey as well Punjab hockey. Varinder Singh was one of the best right-half in the country along with Krishnamurty Perumal in the 1970’s and after he retired, he made sure that he remained in touch with the sport through coaching. After coaching Punjab and Sind Bank hockey team for more than eight years, he worked as a coach with the Punjab Sports department since 2008 and had joined a private academy last year.”