Leo Pinto, India's oldest Olympian, passes away
Pradeep Vijayakar, TNN, Aug 10, 2010, 08.49pm IST
MUMBAI: I will get one Diwali card less this year. The unfailing sender
of that card for the last decade or so, golden hockey Olympian Leo
Hillary Knowles Pinto passed away on Tuesday aged 96, the oldest living
Indian Olympian or sportsperson. He is survived by his daughter Susan
and son Darryl.
His daughter said Pinto's faculties were gradually failing. "I gave him
breakfast this morning and left. He passed away in the afternoon." His
funeral will be held at the St Francis D'Assisi church at Mount Mary
steps Bandra at 9.30 on Wednesday.
In 1936, he was a certainty for the Berlin Olympics but for a serious
concussion of the brain during the Olympic trials. Pinto was India's
goalkeeper at the London Olympics in 1948 when India won gold. Born in
Nairobi, Pinto came to Goa and then Bombay, where he studied at Antonio
De Souza and St Stanislaus. At Anza, he learnt to play hockey, football,
cricket, badminton and boxing. Athletics also claimed Leo's interest and
in one year he carried off the Junior Championship.
At the age of 13 Leo took, almost instinctively it now seems, the
decision to don pads and become a goalie - a position he was later to be
hailed as one of the greats in the world of hockey.
He played his first major matches in the Aga Khan Hockey Tournament for
the Byculla Rovers at a young age.
He joined St. Xavier's College and represented the college in all the
Inter College tournaments in the company of stalwarts of the game like
Owen Ferreira, Willie Fernandes, Thimaya, Fr. Fritz and Owen Pinto.
Pinto had a good life with Tata Sports Club who made him manager of
their hockey team even while he was playing. RK Vissanji employed him
post-retirement at Wallace Flour Mills. In 1972, Pinto was coach of the
Indian Olympic team and served on the Bombay Hockey Association in the
70s. He was also a singer. Bach's Ave Maria was a favourite.
About his goalkeeping he would say, "I would narrow down the angle for
the penalty-corner hitter by advancing towards him. I would watch the
pusher and take off." In his time goalies didn't face the penalty corner
hitters. The one who was fouled would take a penalty bully against the
one who made the foul. In the 1948 final against England, Leo was
fouled. He removed his pads and took the bully and scored goal No 4
against the England captain. That leaves him unique as a goalie who
scored. His work under the bar in the semifinal against Holland was
talked of highly. Looking back he had said, "I knew the Dutch would rise
to glory from seeing then at London."
He had felt sorry for Indian hockey and said it would not rise to those
heights until they had an astroturf in every corner. He had hoped to see
that day dawn. Alas it won't. Also the century.
Before I left I got some golden tips for healthy life which I repeat.
Leo Pinto's tips for a healthy life
1. Three glasses of water and a short walk.
2. Meditate, pray to God for forgiveness of sins and grant a joyous
successful day.
3. Breakfast of four dry almonds soaked overnight in water. Calcium and
multi-vitamin tablets. Tea rather than coffee. 4. For meals eat polis
made of bran rather than white bread. Refrain eating red meat after
touching fifty. Fish, vegetables, fruit (bananas, papaya, apples).
Occasionally eat chicken. Avoid rice, potatoes, biscuits, white bread,
ghee, chappatis. No drinking water during meals, half an hour before or
after.
5. Two glasses of water at 10 a.m., two at noon, two at 2.30 p.m., two
at six and one before retiring.
6. At least an hour's sleep in the afternoon.
7. Brisk walk in the evening for about half an hour, freehand exercises
either before or after walk.
8. Eat early at night, say 7.30 p.m. Go to bed by 10.30 p.m.
9. Never get constipated, have a dry fig to get good motion.
10. Never waste time, read books, do household work or outdoor jobs - In
short a disciplined life.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/hockey/Leo-Pinto-Indias-oldest-Olympian-passes-away/articleshow/6288763.cms
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Goa-launch of the well-received *Into The Diaspora
Wilderness* by Selma Carvalho on Aug 29, 2010 (Sunday) at 11
am at Ravindra Bhavan, Margao. Meet the author, buy a signed
copy (only Rs 295 in Goa till stock lasts).
http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/
