<p>The 1975 World Cup gold was a seminal moment in the history of Indian hockey. The architects of that epochal triumph were feted as heroes. They were the OG sporting superstars in the country. Some of the members of the 15-member squad spoke to <em>DH</em>'s Roshan Thyagarajan, recalling the momentous occasion. </p>.<p>It changed the course of our lives: Ashok Kumar </p>.<p>I remember the 1973 World Cup clearly. We never really got over that loss to the Netherlands in the final. We continued to blame ourselves for that loss because we got to the final and didn’t cross the line when we were clearly the better team. So, when 1975 came around, we started training harder than we had before. In Chandigarh, we used to get massive crowds watching us train and that was a big boost for our confidence. Before we got to Malaysia, our practice matches against Singapore also helped us get in shape. Upon arriving at the team hotel, I could see that they had placed the World Cup trophy in a display cabinet and I remember walking up to it and dreaming about how it would feel to hold that cup in our hands. I secretly told myself that I would do whatever it took to feel that feeling. The tournament itself was a strange one because despite our quality we had a lot of ups and downs. When we lost to Argentina in the group stages, we really felt the pressure. It only got worse because now we had to beat Germany to go to the final. We changed our strategy by asking Surjit Singh to play more cross balls while I took the marking defender away from Virender Singh so they would get more open looks. Eventually, with four minutes to go, Balbir Singh substituted Michael Kindo with Aslam Sher Khan and he scored, and we pushed the game to extra time before winning there. </p>.Golden jubilee of the most precious gold.<p>On March 14, we had the day off so the coach and the manager took us to temples, churches, masjids and gurudwaras in Malaysia so all of us could seek blessings. The morning of the match, the coach and the manager knocked on our door with a stranger next to them. It’s 6 am. The man gave us all a small yellow cloth and told us to keep it in our pockets for good luck. We all did as told. It didn’t look like we had much luck in the first half because we were down 0-1, but I believed we had what it took to win in the next 35 minutes (games used to be 70 minutes before). We lost some energy when they scored, but at half-time we all spoke in the huddle and we regained our focus. We knew how to beat them, we just had to remain calm. After Surjit scored a brilliant goal to equalise, we didn’t feel pressure anymore. We could now play freely and a few minutes after that goal we earned a penalty corner. Ajit Pal pushed the pass to me, and I pushed it to VJ Phillips, and he gave it back to me, a perfect pass, when I was 7-8 yards away from the goal. All I had to do was flick at the ball without thinking too much. The next thing we heard was a loud thud and we knew we had scored. There was plenty of time on the clock, but by then we knew Pakistan didn’t have the legs on them. We just played out time and we won. What a victory that was. It changed the course of our lives, and I genuinely believe Indian sports changed that day.</p>.<p>Still alive by god’s grace to see this day: Ajit Pal Singh</p>.<p>A long time has passed, and those were some fond memories. That was a sweet victory against Pakistan. Traditional hockey rivals, ever since I started playing hockey, Pakistan was the only team we wanted to beat. Back then, we were the powerhouses, and Pakistan was our biggest rival. It was a memorable victory for us. We all cherished it. We got plenty of recognition, respect and love from everybody after that. Unfortunately, we lost five of our team-mates over the years, we miss them. Some of us are still alive by god’s grace to see this day. India-Pakistan games are always like that (tense) so the World Cup final was no different to us. Tension was always there. That day was a real test, though. We were down a goal at halftime. But we felt like we could do it. In the middle of the match, we felt like we had to do more. We had a meeting at half-time and we all got everyone charged. We dominated. The second half was very different somehow. We just found our way to score. As for the winning goal, the umpire called it and that’s what it is. There is plenty of video evidence to show that it was a goal. But the Pakistanis weren’t too sure so they complained I think. </p>.<p>Destined to win: PE Kaliah</p>.<p>I recall it being a very tense final. Most of our matches against Pakistan were tense given the war not too long ago, but this was especially so because it was the final. Pakistan had gotten the better of us in the past but we were confident we would get them this time. One thing I vividly remember is how we were so well taken care of before the tournament, in the lead-up. We had training in Chandigarh for three months and Balbir Singh (the manager) looked after us very well. We built that camaraderie during those months of training. Ajit Pal was a fine captain, but he wasn’t the type to hype people up, I clearly remember him doing that during half-time of the final. He was very focussed and people like Govinda and Ashok were all very excited, and we did the unthinkable. Now, looking back, I feel like we were destined to win it.</p>.<p>Team from 1973 to 1976 was the best: BP Govinda</p>.<p>I remember we started on a disappointing note because we lost to New Zealand, but after that, the team was very good. We were very determined to win. Maybe the officials did support us, but we outclassed other teams. Against Pakistan, we kept the ball in our control. We kept moving the ball around to ensure their defence would be tired. Ashok Kumar and I used to play end to end. We were much better than them that day. The semifinal episode was exciting, we had to equalise against Malaysia to qualify. Something was wrong that day, nothing was going in. We kept trying. It was like they had used black magic against us. Somehow we won. Rivalry against Pakistan was intense. We would constantly lose to Pakistan in the past so that final was important. It was always a close game and we would lose by a goal or two maximum. When we came back it was crazy. Some rubbish customs, they called us to Chennai and then we went to Delhi. Those days there was no security. The crowd was at the door of the flight, we landed at the Palam Airport. We were carried out of the airport by the fans and then we had to come back and assemble once again for the felicitation. It was hilarious, but what a wonderful memory. Our team from 1973 to 1976 was the best Indian team ever.</p>.<p>Anyone born in that era will remember that match: Aslam Sher Khan</p>.<p>That day I felt like I became somebody when I believed I was nobody. That day changed my life and the lives of my team-mates. Suddenly, we were stars. What a change that was. We were in seventh heaven. The love in Malaysia, the love in India. I cannot describe those moments. The final was a very well-played match. The most exciting hockey we had played until that moment. Very equal fight, a very close match. Luckily you can watch the match on YouTube. I still watch that game from time to time and I still can’t believe we were part of that history. We played very confidently. Pakistan normally had more confidence in us before, but that day, we just changed it all. We came back from the jaws of defeat. After that semifinal victory, we knew we had luck on our side. I remember coming on as a substitute in the semifinal, and I scored. Feels like I was born for that moment. That was enough to give us confidence. Pakistan knew that we were coming into the final with luck on our side because it looked like we wouldn’t make it to the final, no chance. The reception in Chennai was crazy. Oh, boy. I don’t think you can dream up things like that. After independence, we had not won anything as big as that moment. Anyone who was born in that era will remember that match. That was the biggest victory for India until that moment. That, I think, changed the course of Indian history as a sporting nation. Also, we were a poor nation back then and wanted something to hold on to. This victory gave the people hope, and I cannot believe I was part of that legacy.</p>
<p>The 1975 World Cup gold was a seminal moment in the history of Indian hockey. The architects of that epochal triumph were feted as heroes. They were the OG sporting superstars in the country. Some of the members of the 15-member squad spoke to <em>DH</em>'s Roshan Thyagarajan, recalling the momentous occasion. </p>.<p>It changed the course of our lives: Ashok Kumar </p>.<p>I remember the 1973 World Cup clearly. We never really got over that loss to the Netherlands in the final. We continued to blame ourselves for that loss because we got to the final and didn’t cross the line when we were clearly the better team. So, when 1975 came around, we started training harder than we had before. In Chandigarh, we used to get massive crowds watching us train and that was a big boost for our confidence. Before we got to Malaysia, our practice matches against Singapore also helped us get in shape. Upon arriving at the team hotel, I could see that they had placed the World Cup trophy in a display cabinet and I remember walking up to it and dreaming about how it would feel to hold that cup in our hands. I secretly told myself that I would do whatever it took to feel that feeling. The tournament itself was a strange one because despite our quality we had a lot of ups and downs. When we lost to Argentina in the group stages, we really felt the pressure. It only got worse because now we had to beat Germany to go to the final. We changed our strategy by asking Surjit Singh to play more cross balls while I took the marking defender away from Virender Singh so they would get more open looks. Eventually, with four minutes to go, Balbir Singh substituted Michael Kindo with Aslam Sher Khan and he scored, and we pushed the game to extra time before winning there. </p>.Golden jubilee of the most precious gold.<p>On March 14, we had the day off so the coach and the manager took us to temples, churches, masjids and gurudwaras in Malaysia so all of us could seek blessings. The morning of the match, the coach and the manager knocked on our door with a stranger next to them. It’s 6 am. The man gave us all a small yellow cloth and told us to keep it in our pockets for good luck. We all did as told. It didn’t look like we had much luck in the first half because we were down 0-1, but I believed we had what it took to win in the next 35 minutes (games used to be 70 minutes before). We lost some energy when they scored, but at half-time we all spoke in the huddle and we regained our focus. We knew how to beat them, we just had to remain calm. After Surjit scored a brilliant goal to equalise, we didn’t feel pressure anymore. We could now play freely and a few minutes after that goal we earned a penalty corner. Ajit Pal pushed the pass to me, and I pushed it to VJ Phillips, and he gave it back to me, a perfect pass, when I was 7-8 yards away from the goal. All I had to do was flick at the ball without thinking too much. The next thing we heard was a loud thud and we knew we had scored. There was plenty of time on the clock, but by then we knew Pakistan didn’t have the legs on them. We just played out time and we won. What a victory that was. It changed the course of our lives, and I genuinely believe Indian sports changed that day.</p>.<p>Still alive by god’s grace to see this day: Ajit Pal Singh</p>.<p>A long time has passed, and those were some fond memories. That was a sweet victory against Pakistan. Traditional hockey rivals, ever since I started playing hockey, Pakistan was the only team we wanted to beat. Back then, we were the powerhouses, and Pakistan was our biggest rival. It was a memorable victory for us. We all cherished it. We got plenty of recognition, respect and love from everybody after that. Unfortunately, we lost five of our team-mates over the years, we miss them. Some of us are still alive by god’s grace to see this day. India-Pakistan games are always like that (tense) so the World Cup final was no different to us. Tension was always there. That day was a real test, though. We were down a goal at halftime. But we felt like we could do it. In the middle of the match, we felt like we had to do more. We had a meeting at half-time and we all got everyone charged. We dominated. The second half was very different somehow. We just found our way to score. As for the winning goal, the umpire called it and that’s what it is. There is plenty of video evidence to show that it was a goal. But the Pakistanis weren’t too sure so they complained I think. </p>.<p>Destined to win: PE Kaliah</p>.<p>I recall it being a very tense final. Most of our matches against Pakistan were tense given the war not too long ago, but this was especially so because it was the final. Pakistan had gotten the better of us in the past but we were confident we would get them this time. One thing I vividly remember is how we were so well taken care of before the tournament, in the lead-up. We had training in Chandigarh for three months and Balbir Singh (the manager) looked after us very well. We built that camaraderie during those months of training. Ajit Pal was a fine captain, but he wasn’t the type to hype people up, I clearly remember him doing that during half-time of the final. He was very focussed and people like Govinda and Ashok were all very excited, and we did the unthinkable. Now, looking back, I feel like we were destined to win it.</p>.<p>Team from 1973 to 1976 was the best: BP Govinda</p>.<p>I remember we started on a disappointing note because we lost to New Zealand, but after that, the team was very good. We were very determined to win. Maybe the officials did support us, but we outclassed other teams. Against Pakistan, we kept the ball in our control. We kept moving the ball around to ensure their defence would be tired. Ashok Kumar and I used to play end to end. We were much better than them that day. The semifinal episode was exciting, we had to equalise against Malaysia to qualify. Something was wrong that day, nothing was going in. We kept trying. It was like they had used black magic against us. Somehow we won. Rivalry against Pakistan was intense. We would constantly lose to Pakistan in the past so that final was important. It was always a close game and we would lose by a goal or two maximum. When we came back it was crazy. Some rubbish customs, they called us to Chennai and then we went to Delhi. Those days there was no security. The crowd was at the door of the flight, we landed at the Palam Airport. We were carried out of the airport by the fans and then we had to come back and assemble once again for the felicitation. It was hilarious, but what a wonderful memory. Our team from 1973 to 1976 was the best Indian team ever.</p>.<p>Anyone born in that era will remember that match: Aslam Sher Khan</p>.<p>That day I felt like I became somebody when I believed I was nobody. That day changed my life and the lives of my team-mates. Suddenly, we were stars. What a change that was. We were in seventh heaven. The love in Malaysia, the love in India. I cannot describe those moments. The final was a very well-played match. The most exciting hockey we had played until that moment. Very equal fight, a very close match. Luckily you can watch the match on YouTube. I still watch that game from time to time and I still can’t believe we were part of that history. We played very confidently. Pakistan normally had more confidence in us before, but that day, we just changed it all. We came back from the jaws of defeat. After that semifinal victory, we knew we had luck on our side. I remember coming on as a substitute in the semifinal, and I scored. Feels like I was born for that moment. That was enough to give us confidence. Pakistan knew that we were coming into the final with luck on our side because it looked like we wouldn’t make it to the final, no chance. The reception in Chennai was crazy. Oh, boy. I don’t think you can dream up things like that. After independence, we had not won anything as big as that moment. Anyone who was born in that era will remember that match. That was the biggest victory for India until that moment. That, I think, changed the course of Indian history as a sporting nation. Also, we were a poor nation back then and wanted something to hold on to. This victory gave the people hope, and I cannot believe I was part of that legacy.</p>