Sikhs in Hockey in Italy

Inder Singh, the Indian Olympic player, settled in Italy following the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games.

He played for the MDA Club in Rome and started coaching, both the club team and the Italian Junior team.

He later settled in Bra, near Torino and joined Hockey Club Bra, one of the premier first division Clubs in Italy.

The Club was started by Augusto Lorenzoni, judge of Italian Athletic Federation (FIDAL) at the Rome 1960 Olympic Games.

Lorenzoni was mesmerised by the Indian team's performance at the Rome Olympics and started the club to promote hockey in Italy.

Inder settled down as a player-coach in Bra. His daughter Jasbeer Singh (not Kaur!!) who started playing with HF Lorenzoni Bra is now a professional player in Belgium, plays with the Italian women's national team. 

Another Indian international, Rajwinder Singh, who represented India at the first World Cup in Barcelona, Spain, in 1971, was invited by Paolo Bonomi from the Italian Hockey Federation to play for his club in Italy - Geo Gomma which later became known as Paolo Bononi.

Rajwinder won four Italian National Championships, three Italian Cups, three Italian Indoor Championships with the club. He was the top scorer in the National Italian League five times.

Kulwant Singh, who represented India at Munich 1972 Olympic Games, also went and settled in Italy. Kulwant won Italian National Championship with HC Bra and CUS Torino.