Sikh Union Club Centenary Draws Record Gathering of Hockey Olympians in Nairobi

The centenary celebrations of the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi marked a historic moment in hockey, emerging as one of the largest gatherings of Olympians and World Cup players ever witnessed at a single venue outside India.

The weeklong hockey festival brought together Olympians from India, Great Britain, Canada, Malaysia, and host nation Kenya, alongside several senior and junior Hockey World Cup players and former internationals who represented their respective countries but did not compete in the Olympic Games.

Among the distinguished attendees was Kulbir Singh Bhaura, originally from Punjab’s Jalandhar district, who represented Great Britain at the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Bhaura remains the only Sikh hockey Olympian to win both a gold and a bronze medal for a country other than India.

The celebrations also highlighted the achievements of the Indian diaspora at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, where India did not secure a medal. Two athletes of Indian origin, both Punjabis, finished on the podium that year.

One of them was Alexi Grewal, whose father continues to wear a turban more than five decades after emigrating to the United States. Grewal won the demanding cycling road race to become the first athlete of Indian descent to claim an individual Olympic gold medal. He also became the first individual Olympic gold medalist to marry in India, wedding Manjit from Jabalpur.

At the same Olympics, Bhaura played a key role in Great Britain’s bronze medal-winning hockey campaign. Four years later, he was part of Great Britain’s historic gold medal-winning team at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, cementing his place as the only player of Indian descent to win both Olympic gold and bronze medals for a country other than India.

Bhaura, a prominent member of the Indian Gymkhana in London, traveled to Nairobi to participate in the celebrations. Indian Gymkhana is regarded as the oldest club of Indian expatriates, while the Sikh Union Club in Nairobi is recognized as the oldest club of Sikh expatriates.

The event brought together two Olympic hockey gold medalists, Bhaura and Rajinder Singh, who won gold with India at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Although they represented different countries, both shared strong ties through their Punjabi roots and contributions to hockey.

Also present was Sarjit Singh, who captained Malaysia at the Olympic Games.

The Sikh Union Club has produced 26 Olympians and 11 Hockey World Cup players over the years. Several of them attended the celebrations, including the Marwa brothers — Amarjeet, Harvinder Gora, and Satpal — along with Resham Singh Bains, Harvinderpal Singh Sibia, Surjit Singh Rihal, Ravinder Singh “Laly” Rhoda, Tarlochan Chana Tochi, Ranjeev Deol, and legendary Avtar Singh Sohal.

Ranjeev Deol represented Canada internationally, while his father, Surjeet Singh Deol, captained Kenya at the 1956 Olympics.

The celebrations also reunited Kuljit Singh Dhatt and Satpal Marwa, who were members of Kenya’s hockey team for the 1976 Montreal Olympics. The team was forced to withdraw from the Games following the African boycott protesting apartheid in South Africa.

Apart from Sarjit Singh, the Malaysian contingent also included Olympian Kuhan Shammuganathan, who represented the Matador team during the tournament and was named the best veteran player of the competition.

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