Sikh Union Honors 27 Olympians and World Cup Players

A week after the conclusion of the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, Olympians affiliated with Sikh Union clubs in London and Nairobi gathered for a certificate of recognition ceremony in London honoring 27 Olympians and World Cup players.

The event followed the centenary celebrations of Sikh Union Club Nairobi in May. One of the oldest Sikh expatriate clubs outside India, the organization has a distinguished history in international hockey.

Manjinder “Munai” Singh Bansal, chairman of the Sikh Union Club Centenary Celebrations Committee, traveled to London to present certificates of recognition and commemorative mementos.

The September 6 ceremony, hosted at Spencer Hockey Club in Tooting, celebrated the achievements and legacies of 27 Sikh Union Olympians and World Cup players, including both living and deceased athletes. Many Sikh Union members have longstanding connections with the clubs in London and Nairobi.

The Olympians in attendance were accompanied by relatives and friends. Deceased recipients and those unable to attend because of health challenges were represented by family members or other nominees.

Bansal and Surjit Singh Rihal, who hosted the ceremony on behalf of Sikh Union Club Nairobi, presented the certificates.

Attendees observed a minute of silence for deceased Sikh Union Club Nairobi Olympians. Rihal also asked the gathering to remember Reynold DeSouza, one of Kenya’s oldest Olympians, who competed at the 1956 and 1964 Olympic Games and died in July.

Tributes were also paid to Malaysian Olympian Sarjit Singh, who attended Sikh Union’s centenary celebrations in May and died in August. Sarjit represented Malaysia at the 1984 and 1992 Olympic Games.

The gathering remembered those who died in the August 26 floods in Nepal. Participants also honored the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team who were killed 54 years earlier, on September 6, during the 1972 Munich Olympics. Several Olympians attending the London ceremony had been in the Olympic Village at the time of the attack.

Among those recognized was Surjeet Singh Deol, the oldest Olympian among the honorees. Deol captained Kenya at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, becoming the country’s first Olympic hockey captain, and competed again at the 1960 Rome Games.

Deol played for Sikh Union from the early 1940s until 1962 and is remembered as a pioneer who helped inspire subsequent generations of athletes. His son, Ranjeev Singh Deol, represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and was also honored during the ceremony.

The event also recognized Joginder Singh Dhillon, the oldest living Olympian among the recipients. Dhillon competed at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and joined Sikh Union Club in the early 1950s. He was unable to attend because of his age and health.

Avtar Singh Sohal, an inductee into the Kenyan Hall of Fame, was celebrated as the “greatest of all time” for his record of achievement and dedication to hockey.

Sohal represented Kenya at four consecutive Olympic Games: Rome in 1960, Tokyo in 1964, Mexico City in 1968 and Munich in 1972. He was one of three Kenyan Olympians to compete in four Olympics and captained the national team at the final three. He later became an international umpire and an International Hockey Federation coach.

Sohal played for Sikh Union from approximately 1957 to 1975 and captained the team for several years. He recently received his certificate of recognition in Nairobi.

Four-time Olympian Surjeet Singh Panesar was also honored. Panesar competed at the 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 Olympic Games. At the Munich Games, he became the first player to reach 31 Olympic appearances, a record he held until Australia’s Richard Charlesworth matched it in 1988. They jointly held the record until the 2012 London Olympics.

Panesar played for Sikh Union from approximately 1957 to 1989 and captained the team during the 1974-75 season.

Kulbir Singh Bhaura, described by organizers as the most decorated Sikh hockey Olympian outside India, attended the ceremony. Representing Great Britain, Bhaura won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Games. He also secured a silver medal for England at the 1986 Hockey World Cup in London.

Rihal, another recipient, represented Kenya at the 1972 Munich Olympics and was later selected for the World XI team. He captained Kenya from 1973 to 1981 and became the first recipient of the Kenya Hockey Union’s “Hockey Player of the Year” award in 1976.

Rihal played for Sikh Union from 1969 to 1989 and captained the club during the 1982-83 season.

Organizers said the certificates represented more than the recipients’ Olympic participation and service to Sikh Union. They symbolized the athletes’ lifelong commitment to Sikh Union Club Nairobi, the values of the Olympic movement and their roles as international ambassadors for sport.

The ceremony also highlighted the ability of sport to unite communities while recognizing the contributions of the 27 honorees. Organizers said their achievements would continue to inspire future generations of athletes and supporters.

During his closing remarks, Rihal thanked those who helped organize the event. He expressed appreciation to the president and management of Spencer Hockey Club for providing the venue.

He also thanked Tochi Panesar, a trustee of The Hockey Museum and former president of Spencer Hockey Club, for helping facilitate the use of the venue. Hockey historian Dil Bahra was also recognized for his contributions.

The ceremony concluded with attendees raising a toast in memory of Sikh Union Club Nairobi’s founding members and deceased Olympians.

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