| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
4 March 1951 Somwarpet, Coorg State, India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–19?? | Mohun Bagan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1970–19?? | India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda (born 4 March 1951) was an Indian field hockey player who played as a forward, and a former captain of the Indian national team.
Govinda was considered one of the fastest hockey players during his time and was known for his ball shooting ability.[2]
Govinda's professional career began in the 1967–68 season with Mohun Bagan. In his inaugural season, the team won the Beighton Cup and the first division. His teammates included Olympians Gurbux Singh and Vece Paes.[3]
Govinda played for India in the three Asian Games: 1970, 1974 and 1978 with India finishing second in all the three of them. He also played in the 1972 Summer Olympics at Munich, 1973 World Cup in Amsterdam, 1975 World Cup at Kuala Lumpur which India won beating Pakistan 2-1 in the finals and at the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
In 1972, Govinda was selected for the World XI team. He was awarded the Arjuna Award for his contribution to Indian hockey.
He then took up the role of the selector for the national hockey team.[4]
