New Delhi: It was the final award of the day at the Hockey India Awards in the Capital on Sunday afternoon. The emcee called legendary Ashok Kumar to the stage to announce the recipient of the prestigious Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award. Ashok, clad in a black suit and polished boots, opened the envelope to call out the name but couldn’t. IAS Vineel Krishna, Secretary Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, finally called out the name from the envelope – Ashok Kumar.
The moment indeed made the 73-year-old emotional. And why not? After all, he was receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award named after his father, the hockey wizard of India, Major Dhyan Chand. “This award by Hockey India came as the biggest surprise to me because normally I used to come to these award ceremonies to give away awards to other Indian players,” a visibly emotional Ashok told India.com on the sidelines of the event.
“I am glad that Hockey Indian chose to honour me with the award by the name of my father. I am very happy for the recognition that Hockey India gave me today and hope this continues for the coming years,” he added. Ashok, known for his exceptional skills and ball control, had scored the winner against Pakistan in the final of the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
Like every children, Ashok wanted to be more successful than his father. But none could, nor even his own son. “It’s a great honour for me. I wanted to play hockey because of Dhyan Chand. My aim was to become a better player than my father but I couldn’t touch him.
“We were nowhere in the world at that time and my father made a name for India globally through hockey. He showed the world that Indians can play better hockey than many other countries,” added Ashok, who was successful in carrying forward the legacy of Dhyan Chand.
He represented India twice in the Olympics in 1972 in Munich and in 1976 in Montreal. While India won a bronze in 1972, the same team finished seventh four years later. Besides, he also played in 1971 (Barcelona, bronze) and 1973 (Amsterdam, silver) World Cups. Ashok also has three Asian Games silver medals – 1970, 1974 and 1978 – to his name.
Asked about India’s chances at the Paris Olympics, Ashok opined Harmanpreet Singh’s boys need an ‘extra push by themselves’ to finish on the podium. “I am confident that India will definitely do well in the forthcoming Paris Olympics. They only need an ‘extra push from themselves. If our players can give that extra push, then I think we come out with the gold medal in Paris,” he concluded.
For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest Sports News on India.com.
