Shankar Laxman

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Shankar Laxman (born July 7, 1933 in Mhow , Madhya Pradesh ; † April 29, 2006 there ; also Shankar Lakshman ) was an Indian hockey player . With two gold medals and one silver medal, he is one of the most successful Olympic hockey players.

Career

Raised on a military base, Laxman joined the Indian Army in 1947 at the age of fourteen . There he learned the game of hockey and developed into the best goalkeeper of his generation. Before the Olympic Games in 1956 , he replaced Ranganathan Francis as the goalkeeper of the Indian team . During his three Olympics in 1956, 1960 and 1964the Indian team lost a single game: the 1960 final against Pakistan. Four years later, the Indians won against a Pakistani team who managed almost everything on the field, but which Laxman could not overcome. The last highlight of his sporting career were the Asian Games in 1966, where he led the Indian team to the title as captain. In 1965 Laxman was awarded the Arjuna Award , in 1967 he received the Padma Shri .

In 1978 Laxman retired as a major from the Indian army and was made an honorary captain. After his death, the sports field of a primary school in Mhow was named after him.

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personal data
SURNAME Laxman, Shankar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lakshman, Shankar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Indian hockey player
DATE OF BIRTH July 7, 1933
PLACE OF BIRTH Mhow
DATE OF DEATH April 29, 2006
Place of death Mhow