End of an era in hockey with Claudius’ demise
Thanks to the cricket rigmarole, rather unduly delayed is this piece about the hockey Olympian Leslie Claudius, who passed away recently. He was the only player to have donned India colours in four successive Olympic Games in 1948, 1952, 1956 and 1960, when he captained the team, in Rome. It was most unfortunate for him to have been denied the gold in the final as in the previous three Olympics.
I met him a few years back in Kolkata and a reference to that happening made him quite unhappy. It was something like a slip between the cup and the lip.
Reflecting the state of hockey in this country now was the fact there wasn’t a big enough picture going with the news item. Compare that with almost a column-high picture printed along with Sir Alex Ferguson when he bid adieu to English football.
Short in stature, Leslie was considerably quick on his feet. It was difficult for the opposing players to get past him; he could instinctively move to check an inside forward or a winger.
Bengal had three players in the 1948 Olympic team to London. Besides Leslie, inside-left Pat Jansen and centre-forward Eddie Glacken. All three used to play for Calcutta Customs.
Pankaj Gupta was an umpire in the Berlin Olympics, the 1936 and chief selector in 1948. Jansen was not as brilliant as Udhan Singh, a player in the 1948 team. Glacken was equally so, compared to Balbir Sr. Pankaj, evidently, had to pick them to justify his presence as a chief selector and Bengal’s representative.
In fact, there were changes to include three Lusitanian Club players as the team was selected in Bombay (Mumbai), having the national tournament that year in the city.
Bhopal surprised Bombay in the final that year and had two of their players, Akhthar (full-back) and Latif (left-winger) included in the 1948 team as a result. But centre-half Banne Khan gave the most outstanding display.
Leslie, apparently, did not think of inducing his kin to play hockey. In fact, almost every Australian summer, he used to go ‘Down Under’ to spend his time with his son and family there. He did not turn to coaching either. Bengal was not as well known for hockey as for its football; that was in those times.
What will, however, remain a mystery was the omission of Govind Perumal, an outstanding right half-back. He was included for the Melbourne team in 1956, but to play as a left-half. There could not have been a more quixotic way of administering the game.
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