AVTAR SINGH SOHAL: A FIELD HOCKEY SUPERSTAR (Working draft)

 Tari is 87 years old but remembers his hockey days as if they happened yesterday. Most of all, he will never forget his team-mates.

Avtar Singh Sohal, known to all as Tari, played hockey for Kenya at four Olympic Games, from 1960-72. He captained the team in 1964, 1968, and 1972, and was also the Kenyan captain at the 1st World Cup of hockey in Barcelona in 1971. Singh Sohal represented Kenya from 1957-72 and was capped 167 times. He learned his hockey when he played for City Primary School and the Duke of Gloucester School in Nairobi. After he retired from playing, he began a coaching career and was Kenyan National Coach from 1978-88, coaching them at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Singh Sohal also took up umpiring and was awarded an FIH International Umpires badge in 1980. He was a judge at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and was appointed to the FIH Development and Coaching Committee in 1988. In 2000 Tari was given the Diploma of Merit by the FIH for his services to hockey.

Avtar Singh Sohal (affectionately known as Tari), now 87, is widely respected as the greatest Kenyan hockey player ever. His elite hockey career began when he represented British Kenya (Kenya was then a colony of the British Empire) during the Rome Olympic Games of 1960, continuing to play hockey for and captain an independent Kenya at a further 3 Olympic Games: 1964 (Tokyo), 1968 (Mexico) and 1972 (Munich).

Avtar was recently awarded the Order of the Grand Warrior – one of Kenya’s highest orders of merit during the Jamhuri Day celebrations in December 2021. In March 2022, Avtar was further honoured by his hockey club – Sikh Union in Nairobi – with a permanent exhibition of his hockey memorabilia.

Avtar has retained close ties with British hockey, particularly with the South Asian diaspora community, many of whom emigrated to Britain from Kenya following its independence. Avtar was elected as Vice President of Spencer Hockey Club during the mid-2000s. Even though he is based in Nairobi, Kenya, he is well acquainted with Spencer and always visits and supports them when he is in the UK.

(What do you remember most about Tari, write to skipfer43@gmail.com)

A working draft

Tari, Kenya's outstanding hockey superstar, was born for greatness, which he achieved each year he played and captained the Kenya Olympic team,  the Kenya national team, his ultra-beloved Sikh Union Hockey team and the clubhouse.

I spoke to him recently, and he spoke at length about his friendship (1) with the  Goans (1a with the Sikh Union Club (2a with the Kenya national team and later coaching largely African teams.)

Tony Vaz, Hilary Fernandes,  Edgar, and the late Hilary Fernandes (I used to look forward to Christmas because I would love the Goan sweets, used to meet with Egbert for a beer), the late Alu Mendonca, Saude George ("learnt a lot from him), Hilary Fernandes ("A very, very special friend') Reynolds Pereira, Silu Fernandes (always a very special friend both on and off the field), Leo Fernandes (" a great young right-winger, all the Fernandes' were great players), the late Jack Simonian (an exceptional human being), the late Siness Coutinho ("a very good friend), Reynolds D'Souza ("A very quiet, gentle soul, also a good thinker and a brilliant forward). Rosario Delgado, Reynolds Pereira, Phillip D'Souza, Raphael Fernandes.

Of course, there was the mighty Sikh Union Club, which was almost a religious temple for any Sikh hockey player and the cricketers too. It was at the Sikh Union where he learnt much from Hilary Fernandes (the only non-Sikh to lead the Sikhs to victory in the annual Gold Cup hockey festival). Tari has friends and admirers in many parts of the world but he will never forget the Goans and the Sikhs of Kenya. (Next the brilliant Sikhs)

(More to come).

What made Avtar Singh Sohal, known to us as Tari, he represented Kenya at field hockey in four Olympics 1960-1972 (he coached a couple I think). He learnt his hockey at City Primary School and later at the Duke of Gloucester in Nairobi. 

Most of all, my friend Tari is a gentleman, Scholar and will remain a part of Kenya for the rest of his days. A perfect gentleman.

Two wonderful greats of Kenya hockey: Tari with the late Surjeet Singh Panesar!