Indian Hockey Legend Keshav Datt Dies at 95

Indian Hockey Legend Keshav Datt passed away on Wednesday morning. The 95-year-old double Olympic gold medalist is survived by his two sons and a daughter.

The reason for his death, as mentioned by his attendant Dolly Bairagi, was age-related ailments. The nonagenarian former hockey star wasn't keeping well for the last few days. His body will be kept at Peace Heaven for a few days.

Born in Lahore in 1925, Keshav Datt did his education and sports at the Government College, in the western Punjab city. He was mentored by the legendary Dhyanchand and KD Singh Babu. Datt came into the limelight while representing Punjab in the National Championship in undivided India. After Partition he came to Bombay and then moved to Calcutta in 1950. He represented Bombay and Bengal in the National Championships as well.

Keshav Datt was a member of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal at the 1948 London Olympics. Four years later, he was the vice-captain of the Indian team at Helsinki and bagged another gold. Datt opted out of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, as he had professional commitments to keep with his employer Brooke Bond.

As a hockey player, Calcutta Port Commissioners was Datt's first port of call. Famous Bengali film actor Jahar Ganguly, then hockey secretary of Mohun Bagan, took him to the green-and-maroons. At Mohun Bagan, Datt won the Calcutta League six times and the Beighton Cup thrice. He was widely regarded as one of the finest half-backs in Indian hockey.

Mohun Bagan conferred him with the Mohun Bagan Ratna award in 2019.

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