He played 61 international matches between 1948 and 1956 (which include the three Olympics and the overseas tours in 1954 and 1955), Dosanjh scored an eye-popping 246 goals.
His feat of triple Olympic gold medals (1948, London; 1952, Helsinki (vice-captain); 1956, Melbourne (captain) made him popular across the
country. At the Helsinki Olympics, India slammed six goals in the final.
Five were scored by Balbir alone. The record still stands. Never in an
Olympic final has anyone scored five goals — be it football, hockey or
any other sport.
Balbir was also among the rare educated players in those days. As a
human being, he was pure of heart with a great sense of humour. He was a
celebrity at the Mumbai Hockey Association ground in Churchgate.
Prime minister Modi has also remembered him for his unmathcing contribution to sports