Kenyan hockey legend Avtar Singh Sohal honoured
Legendary hockey player Avatar Singh Sohal (centre) and Sports CS Amina Mohamed (second right) during Sohal's Litetime Achievements exhibit at Sikh Union Club, Nairobi on March 1, 2022.
What you need to know:
- Amina said Avtar gave himself to the service of our nation, and has for most of his life, used sports as a platform to advance our values of equality and patriotism.
- “His discipline and self-sacrifice, has seen him achieve personal best records during his career and his passion for sports, has facilitated the development of the game of hockey in Kenya,” said Amina, adding that the country is indebted to him, for his numerous contributions to the advancement of our sporting fraternity.
He took a majestic walk through a guard of honour of raised hockey sticks mounted by former and current Kenyan internationals on the green tartan pitch at the Sikh Union Club, Nairobi on Tuesday evening.
Accompanied by his wife Ripudaman Kaur Sohal, legendary hockey player Avtar Singh Sohal would then take another walk on to the well-lit club’s corridors to a photo exhibition that drew memories spanning six decades as hockey player, coach and umpire.
The “Lifetime Achievement Exhibition” on Avtar Singh Sohal, affectionately known as Tari, brought together sports personalities including Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Amina Mohamed, Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Virander Paul and Saqlain Syedah, High Commissioner for Pakistan to Kenya.
The exhibition was organised by the Sikh Union Club in honour of the 83-year-old Avtar, a veteran of six Olympic Games, four as a player, one as head coach and one as judge.
“In a lifetime that has passed by eight swift decades filled with blood, sweat, and tears, I stand here this evening a very grateful and humbled man as witness for all those who have been a part of my journey, “ said Avtar to arousing cheers.
“I thank Waheguru (the almighty God) for blessing me with all those that he put into my life that helped me make history not only myself, but also for my beautiful country Kenya, which I owe my very life too,” said Avtar, who was born in Nairobi in 1938 to the late Pyara Singh and Parmesari Kaur Sohal.
Avtar, who first featured for Kenya at the 1960 Rome Olympics before captaining the team at the 1964 Tokyo, 1968 Mexico and 1972 Munich Olympic Games, hopes that his lifelong club will treasure and keep safe all his exhibits relating to his 60 years in hockey from uniforms, trophies, certificates, press cuttings, pins badges, medals and tons of historic photos.
“I want the club and others to ensure that such history that I made together with other hockey greats of Kenya is recorded and preserved to serve as inspiration to coming generations who will hopefully continue to build on our legendary status as a great sporting nation, “said Avtar.
Avtar noted that it was a great and rare honour to have been awarded OLY for having taken part in six Olympics.
OLY is a post-nominal letter granted by the World Olympians Association (WOA) to athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games.
Avtar also thanked the government for the great honour after he was decorated with Head of State Commendation by former president Mwai KIbaki and The Order of the Grand Warrior during last year’s Jamhuri Day celebrations.
Avtar, who captained Kenya to the 1971 World Cup before coaching the team at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, said that Kenya must endeavour to reclaim its place at the world stage.
Amina said Avtar gave himself to the service of our nation, and has for most of his life, used sports as a platform to advance our values of equality and patriotism.
“His discipline and self-sacrifice, has seen him achieve personal best records during his career and his passion for sports, has facilitated the development of the game of hockey in Kenya,” said Amina, adding that the country is indebted to him, for his numerous contributions to the advancement of our sporting fraternity.
