The older generation refused him as strict, inflexible, with the “dark side”. The current generation, which is of low value or meaning for the “history”, is thus packed, they are susceptible to the hobbing in their lives. But the book, shot, the murder of the Olympic champion, which I wrote and has written for more than six years, has published a worrying message: Do we even understand our sports stars?
Prithipal Singh, the Olympic Champion in the heart of this story, played three Olympics, won Silver (1960), Gold (1964) and bronze (1968). Forty -one years later, those close to him were still struggling with his bloody murder. Pargat Singh, a former two -leg captain and now the Congress of the Mla in Pandjab, analyzed the tragedy: “We as a nation know how to do heroes, but unfortunately we do not know how to take care of them.”
Why Indian Sports icons are fighting after retirement
Should an athlete who has achieved a pinnacle-permanent national champion, an Olympic or Asian game medalist-to do sports as a coach, a mental coach or to study sport? Or should they lose their huge sports experiences in harmless jobs?
OP Singh, Police CEO, Haryan State Narcotics Control Bureau and former sports director, emphasize that “most are not suitable for the police or other professions, but forcing them instead of using their experience in sport or coaching, or even ensuring that they turn into different areas concerning sports.”
Taking the example of Prithipal Singha, Op Singh explained: “You do not feel that his experience in the short corners of the next generation of players in the state and national, but we pushed him to work at a university that had no experience.
Prithipal was caught in the middle of student policy and was killed – perhaps an extreme example of a person who is not suitable for the system. Yet it is something that needs to be considered.
In the Indian 1.4 billion landscape, it is also the story of culture, originating in a humble environment and bringing a family from the lowest rungs of the company to respect it, as defines it. A certain star culture is created. In countries like pandjab and elsewhere, police work is highly sought after; They give power, allow players to have an impact and uniform Khaki is a return to the “National Team Shirt” and the respect he created among the lakhs adoring fans. The player then tries to capture his glory again and keep their heritage. Some, such as the former Indian captain and gold medalist of the Asian Games 2014 Sardar Singh, a connoisseur who manages the defenders, is caught in between the police DSP Haryana and other occupations; He is currently a coach of India U-18.
Pargat himself in his career himself joined the police as DSP, but then moved to the sports director, where his work was praised. Many of the state attributed him the ascension of a positive sports environment, which also included the creation of hockey subculture at the sub-junior level, which fed national teams of Olympic teams in 2016, 2020 and 2024-SAMO massive success.
“There is a three % sports quota in every Foreign Ministry. And I think most countries have the same, but it could differ,” Pargat says. “If we bring all sports persons under the sports department, imagine an excellent job that can happen. They can be modified according to success and education. Every person can watch what their expertise is.”
Amiya Kumar Mallick, a former national record holder of 100 m, believes that he is eventually on athletes to pursue a profession after retirement. “As an international athlete, I have experienced both fame and the fight that comes with the representation of the country. The question of what happens after retirement is critical.
“The key is the choice. Athletes should be supported to go into what they are enthusiastic – at age or for sport. I would personally like to stay in conjunction with athletics, help young sprinters and return to sport.
Gian Singh, who competed at the Los Angeles Olympics in the men’s freestyle 62 kg, prefers to balance his career selection and say “rigidity”, cannot be a factor for selection. “There are many highest athletes in different departments in the Delhi government, and some are also in Delhi the police,” says Gian, who left as the head of a sports officer in Railways Board. “Several of them are rising in ranks, while others continue to work that is like a reward for what they have achieved as an athlete.”
Gian emphasizes that all the best athletes cannot be good coaches and some “do not want to do sports as a profession after their career”.
Do we fail to our athletes?
Recruitment has been compressed in the last decade, making it difficult to choose athletes. OM Prakash Singh Karhan, Asian Athletics Championship of 2009, was shot by a gold medalist, saying that when people say that they should only be sport for athletes, that they would not understand the situation in different parts of the country. “Sometimes there is a lack of education,” Karhana believes. “Most join sports at an incredibly early age and at the time they retire, see that education has been omitted. Now, how do you use them?
“It is a transitional period that is not scientific,” says Karhana.
Pargat gives an example of former Indian hockey captain and his wife Avneet Kaur Sidha, gold medalist of social game and Beijing Olympians from 2008. ” It is their choice, but I felt that sport lost their experience. “
In addition to magic, security and career, “perfectionism” is something that we will not solve after retirement. For years it has been chased by a lot of athletes. Most fail. Several of them will achieve what they believe is “perfectionism”, Olympic gold or World Championship medals. For some athletes, such as Prithipal Singh, finding perfectionism in the world affected by rage, hatred and immilic students, in his case can quickly turn into One-Upships or other professions. Perfectionism in the sports field could be an extension of the life of an athlete after retirement.
After retirement, giving up this perfectionism is difficult. It becomes an inner battle, an inexorable self -destructive ride.
Pargat believes that the magic of sport is more than the magic of mere uniform. “Even after I was in politics, he was elected to the State Legislative Corps, I believe that the Arjuna Award is Padma Shri prestigious than the series or mere political authorities.”
(The book Sundeep Misra shot, the murder of the Olympic champion has just been released)
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Published on:
27th August 2025
