Gurdial Singh Bhangu, Coach Behind India's 2002 Hockey Gold, Dies at 862002 ਦੀ ਸੋਨ ਤਮਗਾ ਜੇਤੂ ਹਾਕੀ ਟੀਮ ਦੇ ਕੋਚ ਗੁਰਦਿਆਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਭੰਗੂ ਦਾ ਦਿਹਾਂਤ

Gurdial Singh Bhangu, the coach who guided India's women's hockey team to a historic gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, has died at the age of 86. Hockey India paid tribute to Bhangu on Saturday, saying he died in Surrey, Canada, where he had lived after moving from India.

Bhangu was the chief coach when India stunned hosts England 3-2 in the final at Manchester, with Mamta Kharab scoring a golden goal in extra time. The victory, sealed against the odds, remains one of the most celebrated moments in Indian hockey. The team was led by captain Suraj Lata Devi, and Bhangu had taken charge of the side in 1998, after India had finished 12th at the World Cup.

The first hockey coach to win the Dronacharya Award

Bhangu holds the distinction of being the first hockey coach to receive the Dronacharya Award, Indian sport's highest coaching honour. Born on 3 October 1941 in Lyallpur, now in Pakistan, he joined the National Institute of Sports in Patiala in 1965, where he worked under the legendary Dhyan Chand.

His coaching career took him abroad as well. He was the chief coach of the Nigerian women's team from 1972 to 1976 and helped them play their first World Cup in 1976, before returning to guide the Indian women's team to its greatest triumph.

The team that inspired Chak De! India

The 2002 Commonwealth Games campaign became the creative foundation for the 2007 Bollywood film Chak De! India, starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film's central character, Kabir Khan, was reportedly inspired by Mir Ranjan Negi, India's goalkeeping coach during the 2002 campaign, while Bhangu was the chief coach who guided the team through the tournament.

Hockey India said in its tribute that it mourned the sad demise of the chief coach of the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medal-winning Indian women's team. Tributes also poured in from former players and fans, many of whom remembered the Manchester final as the match that changed how India saw its women's hockey team.

Who was Gurdial Singh Bhangu?

He was the chief coach of India's women's hockey team, best known for guiding the side to gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. He was the first hockey coach to receive the Dronacharya Award.

How did India win the 2002 Commonwealth Games hockey gold?

India beat hosts England 3-2 in the final, with Mamta Kharab scoring a golden goal in extra time under Bhangu's coaching.

Did Bhangu inspire the film Chak De! India?

The 2002 campaign he coached inspired the film, though its central character Kabir Khan was reportedly based on goalkeeping coach Mir Ranjan Negi rather than Bhangu.