Haripal Kaushik: a true champion
Some people break once and never recover but they seldom end up making history. Lt. Col. Haripal Kaushik’s story, on the other hand, is one of quiet persistence and hard-won victories.
A Vir Chakra awardee and a two-time Olympic gold medalist, Lt. Col. Haripal Kaushik exhibited resilience both on the hockey field and in the field of war.
Kaushik’s first moment of glory came in 1956, when the ‘invincible’ Indian hockey team clinched its sixth successive Olympic gold.
Held at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground, the 1956 final was the first showdown between India and Pakistan at the world stage. India prevailed 1-0 in a tight contest.
Four years later in Rome, the two neighbors squared off once more for the gold but this time, Pakistan pulled off a huge upset. The loss hit Kaushik and the Indian team hard with this being India’s first loss in Olympics hockey.
Two years later, Kaushik, by then a young 2nd Lieutenant in the Sikh Regiment, found himself in the midst of the Indo-China war of 1962.
A skilled army man and sportsman
Lt. Kaushik was commanding a position in Tongpengla, among the first to come under heavy attack from the Chinese forces. Tongpengla is located north of Tawang in present-day Arunachal Pradesh.
For his incredible bravery and discipline in front of a numerically superior enemy, Lt. Haripal Kaushik was awarded the Vir Chakra - India’s 3rd highest wartime gallantry award.
However, the defeat in the war and loss of several comrades left a lasting impact on young Kaushik.
Not one to be defeated, Haripal Kaushik found redemption in his favorite sport, hockey. In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, India avenged the sting of the Rome loss by defeating Pakistan and reclaiming the pole position - at the top of the hockey world.
Kaushik signed off his playing days with another gold medal, this time as the vice-captain, at the 1966 Asian Games. He later served Indian hockey as a commentator and administrator.
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