
Chennai: Condolences and tributes poured in from all parts of the country as the hockey community mourned triple Olympian VJ Peter who passed away here on Tuesday night. In New Delhi, Olympians Harbinder Singh and Inam-ur-Rehman described Peter as one of the best inside-right India has ever produced.
8220;I have had the chance to play with Peter from 1963 to 8217;72 and I think he was great inside-right,8221; said Harbinder who replaced Peter in the 1972 Olympics team.
Another of Peter8217;s contemporaries, 1968 Olympian Gurbux Singh, described him as the best schemer India had produced since K D Singh Babu. 8220;Peter was the architect of India8217;s triumph over Pakistan in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics final,8221; he said. 8220;We were rivals for one spot in the 1968 team Mexico Olympics. He was on the decline then. But for my brother Balbir, he was the feeder during India8217;s golden campaign in the 1966 Bangkok Asian Games,8221; Gurbux said.
Indian Hockey Federation president KPS Gill and other officials expressed grief andoffered condolences, while stating that Peter will always be remembered for his brilliant performances which helped India win medals in the Olympics and the Asian Games.