Dalip Singh (athlete)
Encyclopedia
Dalip Singh was an India
n track and field athlete
who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics
and in the 1928 Summer Olympics
.
He was born in Dolon, Punjab
as Sikh
and was the father of Balkrishan Singh
.
In 1924 he was eliminated in the qualification of the long jump competition
and finished 14th overall.
Four years later he finished 36th in the long jump event
at the 1928 Olympics.
To the late Brigadier Dalip Singh goes the credit of being the first Sikh to represent India in the Olympics. The 1924 Olympic Games were held in Paris in which India sent a contingent of seven athletes. In this seven-man squad, two Sikhs, Dalip and Palam made their debut.
The Sikh had missed the bus only four years ago when six Indian athletes had participated in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Dalip Singh could not have made to the Paris Olympics Games but for the patronage and help coming in from the late Maharajadhiraj Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. It may be recalled that Dalip Singh besides being a fine athlete was a good hockey player also. When the trails were to be held at Lahore (now in Pakistan) for the Paris Olympics, Dalip Singh was scheduled to play for Patiala Tigers, a hockey team. It was here that the Maharaja of Patiala came to recognise his worth and helped him take a well-deserved place in the seven -man athletic team. It is true that the team then did not bring home any laurels, but it is on record that two among the Indian athletic performed really well, and one of them was Dalip Singh. In the long jump event, he narrowly missed a mark which could have earned him a place among the first six.
Another honour which went to Dalip Singh was that he was the first Indian, a Sikh, to be the torch-bearer at the inaugural Asian Games at Delhi in 1951.
Born at Dolon village district, Dalip Singh had his schooling in Mission School, that he joined Forman Christian College and Law College, Lahore. Even at School he showed potential of a good sportsman, nay all-rounder. In fact, he emerged as a fine athlete, showing great skill in 100,200,440 yards, 120 yards hurdles and long jump during the university days. He played hockey and cricket too.
But he got the real breakthrough when he was selected to represent India in the 1924 Paris Olympics he was the captain of the Indian athletic team.
In fact, Dalip Singh can be described as a very distinguished man, In World War II, Dalip served the Patiala Infantry. He had joined the Patiala army in 1924. For his services, he was awarded M.B.E ( Medal for British Empire).
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n track and field athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
who competed in the 1924 Summer Olympics
1924 Summer Olympics
The 1924 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VIII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1924 in Paris, France...
and in the 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
.
He was born in Dolon, Punjab
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
as Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
and was the father of Balkrishan Singh
Balkrishan Singh
Balkrishan Singh was field hockey player from India who won the gold medal at the 1956 Summer Olympics....
.
In 1924 he was eliminated in the qualification of the long jump competition
Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's long jump
The men's long jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1924 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Tuesday, July 8, 1924.34 long jumpers from 22 nations competed.-Records:...
and finished 14th overall.
Four years later he finished 36th in the long jump event
Athletics at the 1928 Summer Olympics - Men's long jump
The men's long jump event was part of the track and field athletics programme at the 1928 Summer Olympics. The competition was held on Tuesday, July 31, 1928.Forty-one long jumpers from 23 nations competed.-Medalists:-Records:...
at the 1928 Olympics.
External links
To the late Brigadier Dalip Singh goes the credit of being the first Sikh to represent India in the Olympics. The 1924 Olympic Games were held in Paris in which India sent a contingent of seven athletes. In this seven-man squad, two Sikhs, Dalip and Palam made their debut.
The Sikh had missed the bus only four years ago when six Indian athletes had participated in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Dalip Singh could not have made to the Paris Olympics Games but for the patronage and help coming in from the late Maharajadhiraj Bhupinder Singh of Patiala. It may be recalled that Dalip Singh besides being a fine athlete was a good hockey player also. When the trails were to be held at Lahore (now in Pakistan) for the Paris Olympics, Dalip Singh was scheduled to play for Patiala Tigers, a hockey team. It was here that the Maharaja of Patiala came to recognise his worth and helped him take a well-deserved place in the seven -man athletic team. It is true that the team then did not bring home any laurels, but it is on record that two among the Indian athletic performed really well, and one of them was Dalip Singh. In the long jump event, he narrowly missed a mark which could have earned him a place among the first six.
Another honour which went to Dalip Singh was that he was the first Indian, a Sikh, to be the torch-bearer at the inaugural Asian Games at Delhi in 1951.
Born at Dolon village district, Dalip Singh had his schooling in Mission School, that he joined Forman Christian College and Law College, Lahore. Even at School he showed potential of a good sportsman, nay all-rounder. In fact, he emerged as a fine athlete, showing great skill in 100,200,440 yards, 120 yards hurdles and long jump during the university days. He played hockey and cricket too.
But he got the real breakthrough when he was selected to represent India in the 1924 Paris Olympics he was the captain of the Indian athletic team.
In fact, Dalip Singh can be described as a very distinguished man, In World War II, Dalip served the Patiala Infantry. He had joined the Patiala army in 1924. For his services, he was awarded M.B.E ( Medal for British Empire).