Leo Pinto

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Leo Hillary Knowles Pinto (born April 11, 1914 in Nairobi , † August 10, 2010 in Mumbai ) was an Indian hockey player and Olympic champion.

Career

Born in Kenya, Pinto later moved to Goa . Pinto began playing hockey at the age of 13 and quickly became the goalkeeper of his team, the Bycilla Rovers. In 1930 he moved with his parents to Bombay, now Mumbai, and attended St. Stanislaus High School, in 1932 he moved to St. Xavier's College . Later he was goalkeeper of the Lusitan Hockey Club in Bombay and after the Second World War at the Tata Sports Club. Pinto was scheduled for the 1936 Olympic team, but dropped out after a serious injury. Twelve years later, Ranganathan Francis and Pinto were the Indian goalkeepers at the Olympic hockey tournament in London . Pinto only played against Argentina in the preliminary round, but was in the Indian goal in the 2-1 semi-final win against the Netherlands and in the 4-0 final win against the British.

Before the end of his playing career, Pinto took over the manager position at Tata Sports Club. From 1954 to 1966 he oversaw the college selection of Bombay. In 1972 he was one of the coaches of the Indian team that won the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Munich .

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personal data
SURNAME Pinto, Leo
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Pinto Knowles, Leo Hillary (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH April 11, 1914
PLACE OF BIRTH Nairobi
DATE OF DEATH August 10, 2010
Place of death Mumbai