The photograph below is taken from the May-June issue of Pargat Stickwork's Inside Hockey. The article was entitled "In Kuala Lumpur, India were the Cocks of the Hockey Walk." The article is by K. N. Mohlajee, who reported the 1975 World Cup for the Statesman, Calcutta. Mohlajee, who retired as the Sports Editor of the Statesman, has this to say:
India won the hockey World Cup for the first time in 1975 - and have never since ventured into the semi-finals of the World Cup. Oh, the crazy twists and turns that characterized this tournament. I also remember the spoilsport rains that played havoc with the schedule and reduced the ground to slushy and muddy fields.
The much neglected Aslam Sher Khan saved the day for the Indians in the semi-final against the massively supported Malaysians. Then came the hour of reckoning - the showdown for the World Cup. With none other than the traditional and bitter foes Pakistan. Whether it be hockey or cricket, Pakistan is Pakistan, and cannot be trifled with.
In the final, the peerless pivot and skipper Ajit Pal Singh, and the incomparable schemer Ashok Kumar turned the tide for India. Surjeet Singh slammed in a penalty corner for the desperately sought equaliser, while the enormously gifted son of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand scored the World Cup winning goal.
It was probably Indian hockey's finest hour. India had conquered the World.
