Olympic Games:

Ajit Pal Singh represented India at the 1968 Mexico City, 1972 Munich and the 1976 Montreal Olympics Games. He was the Captain in Montreal.

Ajit Pal started playing hockey while studying at the Cantonment Board Higher Secondary School, Jalandhar.

He played as full-back for the Punjab School team in 1963.

Later he played for Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, and captained Punjab University in the Inter-University hockey tournament in 1966.

He played as centre-half for the Combined University team in 1968.

On joining the Border Security Force, he represented the Force in all national hockey tournaments.

He made his international debut in 1966 when he was included in the team that toured Japan.

Ajit Pal got the first real break when, as student he was selected in the Indian team to play in the Pre-Olympic Hockey Tournament at London in 1967.

Thereafter he did not look back and came permanently on the rolls of Indian hockey team.

He was the captain of the team that won Singapore’s Post Shuan tournament in 1971.

He played in the 1st World Cup in Barcelona in 1971 where India won a Bronze Medal.

He played in the 2nd World Cup in Amsterdam in 1973 where India won a Silver Medal after losing to Holland.

He was the Captain of the Indian side that won the 3rd World Cup in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, defeating Pakistan 2-1.

Having finished his studies at the school, Ajit Pal joined Layallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, which had honour of a number of star hockey players.

Ajit Pal gave a dazzling show of stickwork in the Mexico Olympic Games in 1968.

He showed what a fine sense of distribution he had and how he helped make the half-line function smoothly.

Ajit Pal Singh showed such dexterity and skill at his position that he was included in the World Hockey teams of 1971, 72 and 73.

Ajit Pal represented India at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok and led the team to the 1974 Asian Games in Teheran, claiming Silver Medal each time.

Ajit Pal next toured New Zealand. But in 1976 in the Montreal Olympic Games India suffered the most humiliating defeat under Ajit Pal Singh when they finished seventh.

No one seemed ready for an answer what went wrong for, India had fielded practically the same team which had won the third World Cup title.

Fed up with the Indian show at Montreal and in view of the mounting criticism in the country, Ajit Pal Singh retired from the international hockey scene.

However, he continued playing for the BSF where he was employed as Assistant Commandant.

Four years later Ajit Pal Singh came out of retirement to play in the Champions Trophy Tournament at Karachi in 1980. That ultimately became his last international appearance for India.

He was selected for Asia All Stars in 1970 and 1974.

He captained the Asia team v Europe in September 1974 to celebrate FIH's 50th Anniversary.

He received the Indian National Award ‘Arjuna Puraskar’ in 1970.

He received the Indian National Award, ‘Padma Shri’ in 1992.

Ajit Pal lives in New Delhi.