Former Indian women's hockey team coach Gurdial Singh Bhangu passes away at 86

Legendary coach Gurdial Singh Bhangu, who led the Indian women's hockey team to the heights of success, has passed away at the age of 86. According to a Sportstar report, he had been settled in Surrey, Canada, for a long time, where he breathed his last on Friday. His passing has spread a wave of grief in the sports world. Hockey India has issued an official statement expressing condolences to his family and loved ones, stating that his contribution to Indian hockey will always be remembered.

Gurdial Singh Bhangu took charge as the head coach of the Indian women's hockey team in 1998. At that time, the team was ranked 12th in the World Cup, but under Bhangu's guidance, the team performed impressively in a short span of time. Within months of taking over the responsibility as coach, he led the team to a silver medal at the Asian Games. The biggest achievement of his career was the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, where the Indian women's team won the gold medal by defeating England 3-2 in the final. In this memorable match, Mamta Kharab scored a golden goal in extra time to secure victory for the team.

Due to his dedication and guidance towards the sport, he was awarded the Dronacharya Award in 2000. He was the first hockey coach to receive this honor. Apart from India, he also left his mark at the international level. He served as the head coach of the Nigerian women's hockey team from 1972 to 1976, and under his guidance, the Nigerian team qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 1976.

Gurdial Singh Bhangu was born in 1941 in Lyallpur, undivided India, which is now Faisalabad in Pakistan. He grew up in Ambala and played hockey at the university level. Later, he joined the National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala. There, he received training under the guidance of hockey legend Dhyan Chand and 1956 Olympic gold medalist Balkishan Singh, and worked as their assistant.