Prof. Avinash Singh

03/05/2025

FROM A ROAD-RUNNER TO WHEELCHAIR BOUND THROWER

FATE BEEN CRUEL TO HER BUT SHE FOUGHT BACK TO CROWN SELF WITH GLORY

Prof Avinash Singh

Have a look at following photographs of Garima Joshi. As a 17-year-old, she was a leading junior Indian distance runner having won a bronze in the TCS World 10-km road run in Bengaluru and few other races.

Fate, however, had something 'very cruel' in store for her. Within days of her podium finish at the Southern Capital she was in Kudremukh, another Karnataka town, for a supplementary event in May 2018. A day before the contest, she was hit by a car round a bend in a morning practice session. She had stopped to tie her shoe laces when the accident happened.

Next several months she was in Indian Spinal Injury Centre, New Delhi, paralysed waist downwards for life. Though egged on by Maj H P S Ahluwalia, in December 2018, she won the Super Sikh Rani 10-km wheelchair race while still recovering and going for her physio sessions, another jolt was still to come.

Garima lost her mother to cancer in March 2019. In April 2019 she went under knife again for another surgery. Two months later the steel-willed athlete was was at National Para Basketball Championship at Mohali getting the coveted 'best newcomer' trophy from Mr Kiren Rejiju, the then Union Minister for Sports.

In the years to follow, having won some wheelchair marathon events, she established herself as a seasoned para athlete in field events - discus and javelin throw, and shot put to an extent!

Public, some social organisations and friends had come to her aid collecting a total amount of over Rs 6 Lakhs to enable her to participate in Italian Open World Para Grand Prix athletics in Jesolo, Italy in 2023. She had obliged by winning a silver in javelin and bronze in discus besides confirming her classification in F-55 category.

The Lovely Professional University athlete training at SAI Centre, Gandhinagar won medals in 5th India International Para athletics (a silver and a bronze) in Bengaluru in 2023 and 22nd National Para athletics in Goa in January 2024 (two silvers and a bronze in shot put), underwent an operation for bedsoars early this year, has recently given her career best in javelin.

Her goal is to qualify for the World Para athletics in September at Nehru Stadium in Delhi. For this she aspires to train under Padma Shri and Dronacharya awardee Dr Satpal Singh in New Delhi for next few months to make her mark. She has to stay privately outside that may cost her from Rs 80k to one Lakh. Besides there would be other incidental expenses towards food and travel. Her scholarship is due only by the end of the year.

Her driver father who made a failed attempt at starting a food kiosk at his village in Ranikhet district during COVID is not in a position to foot the bill. Hence she is in need of your help again. What she immediately requries is the security deposit of Rs 50K for taking an accommodation on rent, which is refundable. She would have to do other spendings to make herself competition ready.

Before forwarding this request we both are making a beginning by contributing our might to her account given below!

Garima Joshi
Account number- 35305115611
IFSC code - SBIN0009073

27/04/2025

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Operation Blue Star| What Really Happened 1984About this video -:🎙️ Today's Guest: Prof. Avinash Singh (Head of Communications at Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey To...

26/04/2025

🎙️ Today's Guest: Prof. Avinash Singh (Head of Communications at Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society)

In today's video, we take a deep dive into the events of Operation Blue star & Black thunder. Our guest shares his personal experience of being present during this historic and tragic time and explains what it was like to cover the situation firsthand.

We discuss the major incidents that shook Punjab in 1984, a year full of fear, confusion, and heavy loss. You will hear real insights into what the people of Punjab went through during those tough days.

The conversation also touches on Giani Zail Singh, his 10 years of leadership, and how the political environment during his time added to the tensions.

We talk about why the decision was made to destroy the Akal Takht Sahib, the reasons behind Operation Blue Star, and the hidden facts that many people are still unaware of.

The video also covers Operation Black Thunder in 1988, explaining what changed between 1984 and 1988, and how the second operation was handled differently.

This video is a full deep dive into one of the most critical chapters in Punjab’s history.
Watch till the end to get the complete picture.
For more information contact us:
📞 +91-9654604666
✉️ [email protected]
Roohi Dhingra Avinash Singh Ram Singh Harkanwal Korpal Narendra Kaushik Ashok Goel
Parvinder Sethi Bobby Sethii Harkesh Singh Sidhu Harpreet Singh Harbir Manku Harcharan Boparai Harpreet Singh Thind
Harsharansingh Singh Kukoo Walia Gurpreet Singh Uppal
HP Singh Rishi

13/04/2025

TRUE SPIRIT OF BAISAKHI ਵੈਸਾਖੀ!

The Panj Pyaras -- Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh, and Bhai Sahib Singh picked up the Tenth Master represented the four corners n heart of India!

GARV SE KAHO HUM INDIAN HAIN!

16/03/2025

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Sports vs Political Journalism The Real Story | EdXTvAbout this video -: 🎙️ Today's Guest: Prof. Avinash Singh – Head of Communications at the Jawaharlal N...

24/12/2024

LIFE & TIMES OF HOCKEY WALL CALLED Gurbux Singh

IN PRAISE OF SPECTACLES

Avinash Singh

Cricketing great Bishan Bedi described him the 'gentleman of Indian hockey'. Legendary double Olympics gold medallist Keshav Datt called this lanky bespectacled wonder wall as 'one of the best defenders'.

Meetings with the Gurbux Singh sahib, the Indian hockey ace of 1960s, have always been fruitful and rewarding experience right from 1984 onwards when we met in Calcutta (now Kolkata) a day before Indira Gandhi's assassination.

In the troubled days that followed, he was in touch with the owners of Hotel Grand on Central Avenue, Calcutta, where I was putting up, till I landed back safely in Delhi on Nov 6, alongside a former Major of Indian Army. I was with Hindustan Times then.

Before that I had interacted with him as a journalist of The Sportsweek prior to Indian team's departure for Montreal Olympics in 1976. He was judicious with his answer when asked: Was the Indian team, too busy celebrating the Kuala Lumpur World Cup victory, prepared for the big challenge on synthetic surface?

Several years later the question was vindicated in the smartly-produced coffee table book 'My Golden Days' by Sardar Gurbux Singh. The book was the best gift presented to me by 89-year-young when we met recently at the semi-finals of the Jawaharlal Nehru Senior Hockey Tournament. He walked faster and negotiated steps without help much to the surprise of Nehru organiser Kukoo Walia, and this writer, years younger to him.

Rather than talking about the '75 victory celebrations streched too long, this meticulous designed book judiciously says team to Montreal was "grossly under-prepared for the international transition to artificial turfs".

'My Golden Days' is the tale of a youngman forced to travel distant, unknown and strange places to earn his livelihood in the post partition India, after his family was displaced from the land of their forefathers in West Punjab. His journey from Peshawar, NWFP, where he was born in 1935 to playing for Madhya Bharat in 1955 and later finding his footing in Calcutta playing for Bengal and Customs; and making his way to Indian squad in 1961 and being part of the teams that retrived the gold medal at '64 Tokyo Olympics and won top honours for the first time in 1966 Asian Games, is that of hard struggle, enthralling at times yet downright honest.

The hardbound edition of 232-page book that has been helped by his friend Subroto Sirkar and painstakingly designed by Biswarup Gerai with photograhs provided, among others, by hockey chronicler K Arumugam, is published by Srenik Sett and and Sujata Sett for AllSport Foundation, is priced at ₹1100. Graphics are by Biswajit Ghosh.

This chronicle of Gurbux sir's life story, also documents journey back of Indian hockey after Rome upset to victories at Tokyo Olympics and Bangkok Asiad and the gradual decline thereafter and his association with the game through thick and thin and the love and honours this Banga Bibhushan, Mother Teresa and Arjuna Awardee got from GOI and his State Government.

We have often heard controversies related to Gurbux Singh and penalty corner specialist Prithipal Singh being named as joint captains and team's first big debacle at 1968 Olympics. The book without shunning any responsibility talks about the bonding and friendship between the two, hitherto not talked about and his being picked for World XI alongside Harbinder Singh during Maxico Games itself.

The document also talks about his being national selector, coach of Indian and French teams, manager of teams to Kuala Lumpur for Azlan Shah and Champions Trophy, Karachi and his receiving the National Unity Award, not missing out on the genius of Maj Dhyan Chand, greatness of Leslie Claudius, latter's influence on author's technique and attitude; the life and times of greatest goal scorer India ever produced, Balbir Singh Sr, and exemplary sportsmanship of Udham Singh. It does mention about his friendly rivalary with Prathipal too.

He has also penned down about other hockey greats including Ajitpal Singh, Harmeek Singh, Surjit Randhawa, Baldev Singh, Ashok Kumar, Mohd Shahid, Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillai, Dilip Tirkey, Sardara Singh and others; as also his family members. Also included are some interesting tales of he being bullied by Pakistani stars for wearing glasses and his fears of his national selection being delayed for same reason. He, however, insisted with his glasses right through. His prologue reads: 'In Praise of Spectacles.

04/12/2024

A DESCENDANT OF A BLESSED LINEAGE IS A DIE-HARD NEHRU HOCKEY FAN

'SATTI' THE MERCURIAL BALL BOY & HIS MAGICAL RUNS

By Avinash Singh


In the last six decades, Nehru hockey tournament has developed strange love affairs with people of different hues and walks. They have been coming to New Delhi's Shivaji Stadium for their addiction to hockey and sheer love of the stick and ball game, that India once taught the world.

The hordes included the men from across the street (Jain Mandir complex), the commoners from nearby areas, traders from Panchkuian Road, Paharganj and Karol Bagh. The sport gave them kicks and their afternoons were well spent. They all bought tickets and filled up the Stadium to the brim. (see pictures).

Among the regulars were groups from Old and South Delhi and from West's Patel Nagar and Rajouri Garden.They included punters too. They came in bunches and added to the roar of crowd to the dashes of Inder Singh, Balbir S Grewal Railways (there were always more than one Balbir on field), Haripal Kaushik, Harbinder Singh Chimni, Inamur Rehman, Peter Philips, Gurbux Singh and tackles of great Udham Singh, Harmeek Singh, Mukhbain Singh and later Baldev Singh Sidhu.

Then there were the followers of brilliant half liners and defenders Krishnamurti, Ajitpal Singh, Gurmail Singh Rai, V C Bhaskaran, Prem Somaya , Michael Kindo, Surjit Randhawa, Aslam Sher Khan, Rajinder Singh and Pargat Singh. The last named, who is the only Indian to lead at two consecutive Olympics, reserved the biggest applause of crowds in the late 1980s and 90s. This was when Dhanraj Pillai era was begnning.

For many years in the 1970s and 80s groups came for the fireworks provided by
Harcharan Boparai, Kulwant Singh, Zafar Iqbal, Ashok Dhyan Chand, Syed Ali, B P Govinda, Mervyn Fernandes, M P Ganesh, V J Philip, Surinder Singh Sodhi and Bhajan Singh 'Vespa'.

Sodhi apart, it was diminutive right winger Bhajan, known as 'scooter', who provided the maximum thrill. Once ball was with Bhajan, his darts and sprints on the right and passes to Amardeep or Sodhi would literally bring the house down.

Then there was another man on the sidelines whose tearing runs, dashes and scoots attracted much attention. It was the ball picker 'Satti'. For years he was heart and soul of Nehru Hockey. His one absence from the field, the decibels of prolonged uproars would come down. Organisers - Shiv Kumar Verma, K G Kakkar and N L Narang - always saw to it that 'Satti' was felicitated by the respective chief guests, invariably successive invariably Presidents of India in 20 years and other dignitaries.

Regulars included hockey buffs, like Bahadur Singh . A leading timber merchant of Paharganj, he would watch every match carefully. Singh would invite this journalist to cone coffee at Ga***rd restaurant, after I had finished my reports, to discuss and disect important games threadbare. He was a fan of Inamur Rehman, Chimni brothers and often criticised Surinder Singh Bhapa for his handling of one of the Punjab teams and Gundeep Kumar, son of former India custodian Raj Kumar, alongside Amardeep for their wayward shooting. Surinder Sodhi he always thought could do better with goals.

Bahadur Singh was an encyclopedia on umpires like Gian Singh, Satinderpal Walia (a player-turned-umpire and then a coach) R S Sodhi, Kukoo Walia and Bawa. Seeing Raghu Prasad in his early days, he quipped once: "He would go a long way." Raghu today has umpired at three Olympics, four World Cups and three Asian Games on the lines of Gian Singh sahib. He was a fan of Charles Cornelius under the bar and later Romeo James and Ashok Kumar Dewan. Pity, he did not last to watch P J Sreejesh.

Bahadur Singh always insisted that half the world is playing hockey for Gian Singh and later Kukoo Walia coached their teams.

Mukesh Tandon, who once played for Delhi State and SBI, would come on a bicycle from Paharganj to practice at Shivaji Stadium, is still a disciplined visitor. He brings his own lunch and partakes it with Kukoo Walia the Secretary General of the Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society, in his cabin. Walia, alongside ID Kapur , AP Kaushik and Mahesh Kumar, form the select group that has been keeping traditions of Nehru hockey alive. Bhupinder Singh and Rohit Chauhan, both from different, IRS batches, are the others who are chipping in with their contributions.

Former RBI official, turned hockey writer Sukhdev Singh, is other face familiar at the grounds, despite advanced age. So is former international and Indian Airlines star Rattan Singh. Starting with under-15 Nehru tournament, he rarely misses a match. The septuagenarian is still very fit.

Among the consistent guests at Shivaji is Harvinder Singh Bedi, a descendant of Guru Nanak's clan. His chacha Baba Anoop Singh, the 16th successor of the Sikh Master, has been the 'Gaddi Nashin' of Gurdwara Chola Sahib, near Dera Baba Nanak. The place still has the flowing robe that was once presented to the Guru by a sufi faqir. Harvinder comes quietly to matches, would do some shooting with his cell, make some enquires and leave. But visit he must.

Contributions of commentator Jasdev Singh, Anupam Ghulati, Gurdev Singh Soin, Ravi Chaturvedi and Avtar Singh Sethi to Nehru Hockey can never be ignored.

Pictures of yore are courtesy Ashok Vahie aka Kumar Vahie.

16/11/2024

PRAYAS: CROSSING THE MAGICAL FIGURE OF 36

OF LOVE, PEACE & CULTURE

By Avinash Singh

We often use the term - 36 का आंकड़ा for strained times/relations. But when an organisation crosses the magical mark of 36 years, strains pressures, burdens, distress, demanding and difficult times should get over. No!

Not so in case of Prayas JAC (Juvenile Aids Centre) Society that celebrated their 37th Founder’s Day at Teen Murti Bhawan on Thursday. For every year deprived, marginalised, vulnerable, explioted and abused children, youth and women keep on adding to numbers at Prayas.

Over the years the organistion has swelled from one to 315 centres in 13 States and Union Territories. Starting with is 25 disaster-affected children 36 years ago, Prayas is currently serving 50,000 juveniles through skilling, educating and livelihood programs besides providing help in juvenile justice, trafficking of women and children through self help groups and income generation, entrepreneurship and microfinance operations.

My personal contemplation of Jahangirpuri has been that of biggest resettlement slums of Delhi often being in news for the wrong reasons. And I still shudder to think of the devastating fire of 1988 summer that rendered innumerable children traumatised without parents and a lost roof over their heads, women sans succour and livelihood.

Seeing Jahangirpuri youngsters performing on the stage on Nov 14 alongside hundreds of others at the auditorium of Teen Murti Bhawan was nothing short of miracle. The Founder’s evening celebrations coinciding with Children's Day at a place associated with first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru was an icing on the cake. More so in my case for I'm involved with Mr Kukoo Walia in commemoration of Diamond Jubilee Nehru Hockey Tournament this year.

My friend Amitabh Srivastava often talked about what Prayas, thanks to top cop of our times Amod K Kanth and his evergrowing dedicated team had done in last many years. But, as they say, seeing is believing.

Nearly four hours of action-packed performances and words of wisdom by the likes of earstwhile Police Commissioner of Delhi M B Kaushal (one of the founders alongside Raja Vijay Karan and Amod K Kanth), and a horde of serving and retired Civil Services personnel, university dons, legal luminaries and dignitaries from all walks of life, was fun, learning, education and much more at the same time.

From a 20-member Governing board in collaboration of Delhi School of Social Work (DU), Delhi Police and Shramik Vidyapeeth of HRD Ministry, the stream called Prayas has become a mighty meandering River with many springs joining every now and then, said Mr Kanth.

The mentor (Amod Kanth) has reasons to proud that today over 615 professionals are on rolls of Prayas in over 300 centres across India including Andaman & Nicobar islands besides Daman and Diu.

Power-packed performances apart, words of sageness and acute acumen came from noted lawyers Salman Khurshid, who said even he had learnt a lot from children, Colin Gonsalves, Prof Sanjay Roy, HoD, Social Welfare, DU, Helpage India head Mathew and many luminaries. Mr Mathew wanted the youngsters to be ready to fight their battles.

Performances by students of Prayas Homes included a wide range of folk from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and a Qawali from UP. Some of these were simply mesmerising.

Newly appointed secretary general Naveen Verma his civil servant wife, ED Indu Singh, Dr Kiran - involved closely with Jahangirpuri centre - Richa Kulshreshtha ED of Children's Hope, Mayfair Gardens, were the prominent and active faces.

Nivedita and Deepskhikha were brilliant as anchors of the vibrant program. Choreographer Gauri, a teacher from one of the Prayas Homes made a definite impact.