Mahan Singh (Kenya)

Mahan Singh Umpired at the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. He was also Kenya's Team coach at Melbourne Olympic Games.

Mahan Singh was born on 31st January 1902 in Sahni, a village near Sanehwal in Punjab, India.

He had his early education in Sanehwal and at Government High School Ludhiana. He later went to Lahore for further education and was well versed in Persian, Punjabi, Urdu and English.

In 1921, at the age of 19, Mahan Singh emigrated to Kenya and joined the East African Posts and Telecommunications Administation Headquarters in Nairobi.

He had a dream to make Kenya a force to be reckoned with in the world of hockey.

For nearly half a century Mahan Singh worked to realise this dream by recruiting equally passionate players and perfecting the game using both skill and science.

Spending many hours each day, Mahan Singh revealed his intense knowledge of the game both by playing and training with up and coming stars of the game. He was a hard worker and taskmaster but he also had a sense of humour. For instance, of dribbling he stated:

“Dribbling has developed into a chronic habit. Precautions should be taken in the beginning to avoid it. Once in the system, it is very difficult to get rid of it, just like malaria.”

In 1931 he was one of the founders of the Sikh Union Nairobi and served as its Secretary for 20 years. Through the Sikh Union he helped develop hockey in East Africa and eventually presented it to the world via the Olympic Games. The souvenir brochure of the Sikh Union on 11th September 1959 described him thus:

“If there could be a tornado in human form, it would be found in that wiry, irrepressible and inspired person, Mr Mahan Singh. Both at work and at play he has a passion for setting an objective which most others could consider as impossible…Mahan Singh will toil and persevere day in and day out and ultimately win through. Mahan Singh is Sikh Union personified”.

1938 was a breakthrough year for Mahan Singh and Kenyan hockey when he was made captain of a mixed race Kenya Hockey team which toured South Africa and Rhodesia. The East African Standard newspaper dated 27th January 1938 described Mahan Singh’s performance in that game as “…probably the best player in Kenya…a captain worthy in every respect…”

Mahan Singh spoke of his feelings for representing his country in hockey:

“…unique and the price to be paid for such a privilege is – and should be – high.”

During a visit to India in 1946, Mahan Singh held talks with the Indian Hockey Federation, the aim being to link Kenyan and Indian hockey.

The result was a tour to Kenya from the Indian hockey team in 1947. This tour was a display of the expertise of the Indian hockey team which entertained many East Africans.

For the first time Kenyans saw star players in Dhyan Chand, Manna Singh and Dig Vijay Singh who collectively triggered great enthusiasm for hockey in Kenya by their hockey wizardry.

The Indian hockey team were equally impressed with Mahan Singh’s knowledge of the game. He knew the successes and failures of each and every move in the game but was always enthusiastic to learn more.

Mahan Singh and the knowledge gleaned from the Indians gave Kenya a taste of what was expected of them as a hockey team on the world stage.

This tour was one of the major highlights in Kenyan hockey history and subsequently India officially toured Kenya in 1949.

The Tata Sports Club toured Kenya in 1952 and India returned twice more in 1959 and 1963. Due to Mahan Singh’s knowledge and determination Kenyan hockey improved with each tour.

In 1956 Mahan Singh’s dream was realised when Kenya qualified for the Olympic Games in Melbourne where he coached the hockey team.

Kenya narrowly missed winning the bronze medal at the games but this was still a huge achievement for Kenyan hockey in its first outing to the Olympics. It also placed Kenya in tenth position in the world rankings.

Mahan Singh was also one of the International Umpires at the Melbourne Olympic Games.

Mahan Singh was the technical adviser to the Kenya hockey team at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.

This was when Kenyan hockey reached its peak and when Mahan Singh became known as the “Father of Kenya Hockey”.

Mahan Singh retired from hockey management in 1961 and went on to train the Kenya Women’s Hockey Team who gained much success against an International Wanderers team and then went on to tour India in 1968.

In November 1964, Fred Kubai, the Assist Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Services paid his own tribute to Mahan Singh’s contribution to Kenyan hockey:

“Kenya’s success has been due almost entirely to the selfless dedication to sports over a period of many years of a number of sterling persons. …the name of Mahan Singh must rank the highest. He…transformed hockey …till Kenya’s hockey became truly something to be reckoned with among the greatest hockey countries of the world…Mahan Singh has rendered a great service to Kenya’s hockey for which he deserves the Country’s thanks."

Mahan Singh was the Secretary of the Kenya Hockey Union from 1949.

He was elected as the President of Kenya Hockey Union in 1957.

In 1959 the East Africa Hockey Union was created and Mahan Singh led the Kenyan delegation to a conference in Kampala, Uganda.

Mahan Singh continued to play hockey well into his 60’s and was still a strong player at that age.

Mahan Singh died after suffering a heart attack on the beach at Malindi on Friday 17th January 1969 aged 67.

He will always be remembered as the “Father of Kenya Hockey”.

He left a widow, two sons and two daughters. Sadly, his eldest son, Gurcharan Singh Sandhu, passed away in 1976. Mahan Singh’s remaining son, Satpal Singh Sandhu and two daughters, Jaswant Kaur Grewal and Inderjeet Kaur Dhillon live to this day and carry their father’s immense legacy with pride.