Ballu
Encyclopedia
Balwant Singh Sagwal popularly known as Ballu, was an India
n volleyball
player, considered a star of the national volleyball team.
Balwant Singh Sagwal was born in the village of Kaul
in the Kaithal
district of Haryana
.
(BSF) in Jalandhar, Punjab, which had a reputation for producing quality volleyball players at the time.
In the mid 1960s and into 1970s, he was responsible for helping Punjab achieve national success, and he was awarded the country's top sporting honor, the Arjuna Award
, in volleyball in 1972 for his excellent sportsmanship and contribution to the national team. Sagwal played for India in Asian Games of 1970, 1974, and 1978. He also played test matches for India in 1970, 1978 and 1980.
The first National Volleyball Championship in which Sagwal took part was that of 1965 and he continued to play in the Nationals till 1988. Between 1968 and 1981, Punjab won National Championships 10 times largely due to the performance of Sagwal. Sagwal participated in the All India Police Games from 1966 to 1990 representing Punjab Police and BSF.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
player, considered a star of the national volleyball team.
Biography
Kaul Village
The village of Kaul is presently situated in the Kaithal district of Haryananear village SANWAT. In the past, it has belonged to Kurukshetra and Karnal districts at different points of time...
in the Kaithal
Kaithal
Kaithal is a city and a municipal council in Kaithal district in the Indian state of Haryana. Kaithal was previously a part of Karnal District and later, Kurukshetra District until 1 November 1989, when it became the headquarters of the Kaithal District of Haryana. Kaithal shares common boundary...
district of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
.
Sporting career
Sagwal was a tall, ungainly youth. His height was 6 in 6 in (1.98 m) with correspondingly big hands and feet. He was from a modest background and joined the Border Security ForceBorder Security Force
The Border Security Force is a border patrol agency of the Government of India. Established on December 1, 1965, it is one of the Central Armed Police Forces. Its primary role is to guard India's international borders during peacetime and also prevent transnational crime...
(BSF) in Jalandhar, Punjab, which had a reputation for producing quality volleyball players at the time.
In the mid 1960s and into 1970s, he was responsible for helping Punjab achieve national success, and he was awarded the country's top sporting honor, the Arjuna Award
Arjuna award
The Arjuna Awards were instituted in 1961 by the government of India to recognize outstanding achievement in National sports. The award carries a cash prize of 500,000, a bronze statuette of Arjuna and a scroll....
, in volleyball in 1972 for his excellent sportsmanship and contribution to the national team. Sagwal played for India in Asian Games of 1970, 1974, and 1978. He also played test matches for India in 1970, 1978 and 1980.
The first National Volleyball Championship in which Sagwal took part was that of 1965 and he continued to play in the Nationals till 1988. Between 1968 and 1981, Punjab won National Championships 10 times largely due to the performance of Sagwal. Sagwal participated in the All India Police Games from 1966 to 1990 representing Punjab Police and BSF.