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Olympian Davinder Singh Garcha is no more
Davinder Garcha represented India in the Moscow Olympic Games, where he emerged as the third top scorer with eight goals to his credit.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Sun, 11, Jan 2026
- 00:25 EST
- 19
Davinder Garcha (playing Days) and after retirement. / Courtesy photo
Olympian Davinder Singh Garcha, a member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games champion Indian hockey team, is no more. He died at his Jalandhar home following a massive heart attack. He was on the dining table enjoying breakfast when the cruel jaws of death snatched him. Davinder, who retired as Deputy Inspector-General of Police, was 73. He leaves behind his wife and a son.
He had undergone a heart procedure early this month.
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Davinder Garcha had served as Senior Superintendent of Police, both at Khanna and Moga. Even after retirement from service, he remained associated with the game. To commemorate the memory of his childhood friend and the 1975 World Cup champion hockey team player, Mohinder Singh “Munshi,” he used to organise an invitation tournament. The last edition of the tournament was played in November last year.
Davinder Garcha, who shot into the limelight with his lethal penalty corner hits, represented India in the Moscow Olympic Games, where he emerged as the third top scorer with eight goals to his credit.
Iqbal Singh Sandhu, a former goalkeeper and CEO of the All-India Surjit Hockey Tournament Committee, and Davinder Singh Garcha, representing India, played in 30 international games in three different tournaments and scored 19 goals.
Jalandhar Cantonment MLA and Olympian Pargat Singh, while condoling the death of Davinder Singh Garcha, said that he was a dedicated hockey player, organiser and promoter. While expressing his condolences to members of the bereaved family, he lauded the services of Davinder Garcha in various capacities, including the holding of the Mohinder Singh Munshi Memorial tournament.
Davinder Garcha, who rose from a low-middle-class family—the family was known for its dairy business—perfected the skill of hitting penalty corners. Other penalty corner hitters of his time included stalwarts like Surjit Singh, Aslam Sher Khan, Baldev Singh, Rajinder Singh Senior, S. Dung Dung, Michael Kindo, Gurdish Pal Singh, Mohinder Pal Singh, and Vineet Kumar.
Olympians Colonel Balbir Singh (Services), Harmik Singh, Ajit Pal Singh, Hardeep Singh Grewal, Balwinder Singh Shammi, Sanjeev Kumar Dang, Harpreet Singh Mandher, Gagan Ajeet Singh, and Baljit Singh Dhillon; internationals Jagdeep Singh Gill, Sukhvir Singh Grewal, Gurdish Pal Singh, and Tejinder Singh Aujla; Dronacharya coach Baldev Singh; President of the Punjab Hockey Association, Nitin Kohli; and others condoled the death of Davinder Singh Garcha.
Davinder Singh Garcha with Olympian Harpreet Singh and internationals Jagdeep Singh Gill, and Tejinder Singh Aujla. / Courtesy photoThe family sources said that his cremation will take place on Jan. 14.
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