ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BH&#256LENDRA SI&#7748GH R&#256J&#256 (1919-1992)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BHLENDRA,SIDGH,RJ,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279BH&#256LENDRA SI&#7748GH, R&#256J&#256 (1919-1992), distinguished cricketer and India's longest lasting sports executive, was born on 19 August 1919, the son of Lieutenant-General Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 Sir Bh&#363pinder Si&#7749gh, the glamorous princely ruler of the state of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 in Southern Punjab. Brought up in the lap of luxury, Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh shot up into a tall, handsome and lissom young man, with remarkable prowess in several branches of athletics. When his elder brother Y&#257davinder Si&#7749gh, the heir-apparent of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state, was getting ready to don colours for India against Lord Tennyson's team (1937-38), Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh was playing cricket for Southern Punjab, a formidable outfit, which claimed among its members famous cricketers of the day, such as Niss&#257r, Am&#299r Al&#257h&#299 and L. Amar N&#257th who later rose to be India's Test captain.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh was educated at the Aitchison College, Lahore, where, besides cricket, he distinguished himself in riding, polo and tennis. The Mah&#257r&#257j&#257 of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 had ace cricketers such as Col Mistry and Frank Tarrant, the Australian, to train his children. He also had famous Sikh scholars, notably Pa&#7751&#7693it R&#257m Basant Si&#7749gh, to teach them the religious canon of their faith. Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh was exceptionally well prepared to excel in study as well as in sports. He worked as hard as he played. He proved first rate in athletics, tennis, swimming, shooting and angling. Very rarely in the history of the College had any one prince displayed such notable proficiency in so many diverse fields of sportsmanship. Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh succeeded in doing all this without any detriment to his academic work. He was not greatly interested in <i>shik&#257r</i> or gun-dogs - two activities to which his father was passionately attached. His own interests were finally divided between cricket and tennis. Another of his major interests was Indian classical music. A favourite hobby was cooking and he also turned out a book of recipes. He spent a time at Cambridge University where he continued to play first-grade cricket, excelling as a slow bowler. Slow bowling had always been his forte.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After India's Independence, Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh held important positions in national sports. He was for many an year associated with the amateur Athletic Federation of India, the Swimming Federation of India and the Indian Hockey Federation. In 1947, he became a life member of the International Olympic Committee and in 1959 he was elected president of Indian Olympic Association which office he continued to hold until 1975. He had another term in that office, 1980 to 1984. He was the architect of the Asian Games movement and was the moving figure behind the Asiad held in New Delhi during 1982. At the opening ceremonies of the Games he shared the podium with the President of India, Gi&#257n&#299 Zail Si&#7749gh. R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh had occupied with outstanding efficiency some high ranking positions in the civil administration of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 state. He had been working in the Home and Education departments of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) as secretary until its amalgamation with the Punjab. R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh was known for his exceptionally genteel and refined manner. His finesse and urbanity of speech were unmatched.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;R&#257j&#257 Bh&#257lendra Si&#7749gh died in Delhi on 16 April 1992.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">R&#257jinder Si&#7749gh; Qaum&#299 Ekt&#257<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>