Former Indian women’s hockey team coach Gurdial Singh Bhangu, who guided the country to a historic gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2002, died in Surrey, Canada, aged 86, says an Olympics.com report.
Bhangu was at the helm when India defeated hosts England 3-2 in a dramatic final in Manchester – a win that later inspired the script of 2007 Bollywood film Chak De! India, starring Shah Rukh Khan.
The Indian women’s hockey team, captained by Suraj Lata Devi, secured the gold after Mamta Kharab scored the golden goal in extra time, bringing a memorable end to their campaign.
The victory is considered one of the defining moments in Indian hockey history. While Shah Rukh Khan’s fictional character Kabir Khan drew inspiration from former Indian goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi, it was Bhangu who served as India’s chief coach during the Commonwealth Games triumph.
Bhangu’s experience and understanding of the hockey rules proved crucial during the Commonwealth Games final. Aware that an active penalty corner must be allowed to run its course even after the hooter, he had instructed his players never to switch off until the sequence was complete.
That advice proved decisive against England in extra time. As the hooter sounded, the English defenders relaxed, but the alert Indian players continued their attack, with Mamta Kharab slotting home a famous golden goal off a rebound. Although the goal was initially disallowed, the officials eventually overturned the decision, confirming India’s historic victory.
Bhangu trained under Dhyan Chand
Born in Lyallpur, now Faisalabad in Pakistan, Bhangu grew up in Ambala and played hockey at the university level. He later trained at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, where he learnt under Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand and Olympic gold medallist Balkishan Singh.
Bhangu already had considerable international coaching experience before taking charge of the Indian team. He served as chief coach of the Nigerian women’s team from 1972 to 1976, helping them qualify for their first Hockey World Cup in 1976.
Bhangu was appointed chief coach of the Indian women’s team in 1998, following their 12th-place finish at the Women’s Hockey World Cup.
Under his guidance, India won the silver medal at the Asian Games in Bangkok later that year, laying the foundation for their historic Commonwealth Games gold four years later.
Bhangu was also honoured with the Dronacharya Award in 2000, becoming the first hockey coach to receive the prestigious coaching honour.
