Leslie Claudius
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
25 March 1927 Bilaspur, British India | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died |
20 December 2012 (aged 85) Kolkata, West Bengal, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5'4" (162 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Halfback | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bengal Nagpur Railway | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1948–1960 | India | 100+ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Leslie Walter Claudius (25 March 1927[1] – 20 December 2012[2]) was an Indian field hockey player from Bilaspur. He studied in South Eastern Railway(Now SECR) English Medium School Bilaspur which has produced many national sportsmen
Career
Early career
Claudius was initially interested in Football and as an accomplished player, he got a chance to play for the Bengal and Nagpur Railway. But, his talent in field hockey was spotted by Dickie Carr, who was a part of the Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1936 Olympics. Claudius was then inducted into the Bengal and Nagpur Railway hockey team that Carr was a part of. The team finished second in the Beighton Cup and Claudius quit football for hockey.[3]
International career
Claudius was a member of India's generation of hockey that won the Olympic gold in 1948, 1952 and 1956 and silver in 1960.[1] He was the first hockey player to have competed in four Olympics and also the first to earn a hundred international caps.[4] He captained the Indian team for the first team in 1959, with Dhyan Chand, often considered India's greatest hockey player ever as the coach, and led them to the second-place finish at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.[3]
Team Manager
Claudius was appointed as the manager of the Indian team in 1978 for the Bangkok Asian Games.
Personal life
Claudius was of Anglo-Indian descent. His son, Robert, was also an Indian international who represented his country at the World Cup in Mexico in 1978. Robert died in a road accident. Leslie had three more sons, one who stayed with him in Kolkata and two who live in Melbourne.
Awards and recognition
- In 1971 he was awarded the Padma Shri.
- Mention in the Guinness Book of World Records along with Udham Singh for having won the most number of Olympic medals in field hockey.[5]
- For the 2012 Olympics the Bushey tube station was renamed after Claudius in the special "Olympic Legends Map". He was one of six all time hockey greats who were honored in this manner.
Death
Claudius died in Kolkata on 20 December 2012, after a prolonged battle with cirrhosis of liver. He was survived by his wife and three sons. He is buried in Lower Circular Road cemetery, Kolkata.
See also
References
- 1 2 "Olympics". sports-reference. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
- ↑ "Hockey legend Leslie Claudius passes away". DNA India. PTI. 20 Dec 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
- 1 2 "Leslie Claudius Profile". Iloveindia. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ "Football's envy, hockey's pride". Sportstar. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ "Indian hockey great Leslie Claudius passes away". Firstpost. FP sports. 20 Dec 2012. Retrieved 2012-12-20.
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