India’s oldest Olympian dies

India’s oldest Olympian and a member of the gold medal-winning Indian team of the 1948 London Games Leo Pinto, 96, passed away at his Bandra residence on Tuesday due to age-related health problems.

One of the finest goalkeepers that India has ever produced, Pinto is survived by a daughter, son and grandchildren. Known to be a jovial person, Pinto is one of the two stars Bandra has produced. The other one, of course, is Sachin Tendulkar.

“Leo was an excellent goalie. He was the most jovial person I have ever come across. A great singer, Leo was the official entertainer of our team,” says Balbir Singh Sr, Pinto’s teammate from the 1948 Games squad. “He was also Dhyan Chand’s favourite. When our morale was down, it was always Leo who used to cheer us up with his songs,” adds 86-year-old Balbir, who now resides in Vancouver, Canada.

Pinto, of Portuguese descent, started his hockey career in Mumbai. At 13, he played for the Byculla Rovers in the 1927 Aga Khan tournament, one of the most prestigious domestic tourneys during that time. He has a distinction of featuring in 27 Aga Khan tournaments in a row.

A Goan from Mapusa, Pinto was then made manager of the Tata Sports Club hockey team even while he was a player. He was the goalkeeping coach of the Indian team at the 1972 Summer Olympics, at which India won the bronze.

Former India skipper and Olympian Dhanraj Pillay says Pinto was like a father.  “On Monday I was in Muscat along with Leo Sir’s friend SS Naqvi and we were just discussing about their playing days, especially about Leo Sir’s jovial nature. He always used to give good, positive advice to the youngsters,” Pillay says.

His passion and positive attitude towards the game was reflected when DNA spoke to him before the hockey World Cup earlier this year. He had donned his 1948 Olympics blazer — his most prized possession — and polished the buttons of the blazer over the previous night for a photo shoot. Perhaps, it was this child-like enthusiasm for these small things that was most charming about him. His voice quivered a bit, but his memory was unquestionably sharp. “India should win, but these are emotions speaking. It is more important that the players play wholeheartedly, that will help us regain our lost pride,” he had said then.

Olympian Viren Rasquinha says Pinto followed India’s every World Cup match closely. “He used to call me and discuss and dissect the match. He was very passionate about the game and was mentally very alert,” says Rasquinha, who is Pinto’s neighbour. “My mother is a doctor and uncle Leo used to come to my house very often when I was young. He was a very cheerful person.”