1949 Nationals
It was Francis versus Punjab all the way, and Francis won the day! He had an answer to every shot we executed and we were held to a goalless draw.
The Autobiography of Balbir Singh (Senior)
By Samuel Banerjee, Vikas Publishers, 1977
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1949 Nationals | The only tough match we encountered
was against Madras. Ranganathan Francis, who I consider to be India's best
ever goalkeeper, was the one who frustrated our scoring efforts in the
quarter-finals.
It was Francis versus Punjab all the way, and Francis won the day! He had an answer to every shot we executed and we were held to a goalless draw. |
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he
new year 1949 began extremely well for us. We had a glorious outing in Bombay,
where we won the Aga Khan tournament for the first time. In another part of the
country, my alma mater Punjab University won the All India Inter-University
hockey championship. Punjab was putting its stamp on hockey all over the
country.
Then came the 1949 Nationals in New Delhi, and we assembled for the state trials. Punjab Police had as many as 13 players in the 18-member state team. I was the team captain and Ram Parkash my deputy.
Tarlochan and I were the only Olympians in our ranks. States like Bombay and Bengal, boasted four or more Olympians. But in our team were budding players who later went on to don India colours.
The only tough match we encountered was against Madras. Ranganathan Francis, who I consider to be India's best ever goalkeeper, was the one who frustrated our scoring efforts in the quarter-finals. It was Francis versus Punjab all the way, and Francis won the day! He had an answer to every shot we executed and we were held to a goalless draw.
We beat Madras in the replayed quarter-final 7-0, on a day when Francis was off colour. We went on to subdue Bhopal, another fine team, after playing a tough draw with them. Punjab went on to win the national crown, beating Bengal in the final.
Punjab Hockey Association held a big reception in Simla in honour of the players. The State Governor also attended the reception. We had proved that even partitioned Punjab was good enough for the rest of the nation.
Punjab win National Hockey Championship (1946)