Hockey India mourned the demise of historian and statistician BG Joshi

The 67-year-old resident of Bhopal lost his battle to Covid-19 related complications.

Hockey India mourned the death of hockey historian and statistician Baboolal Goverdhan Joshi, fondly known as BG Joshi. He passed away in Bhopal on Tuesday due to covid-related complications.

BG Joshi is survived by his wife Krishna, sons Shravan and Neeraj, daughters-in-law, a grandson and a granddaughter. 

The hockey historian worked as an engineer at the Madhya Pradesh Water Resource Department. A passionate lover of hockey, BG Joshi began maintaining records of the sport from the world over since the early 1970s and also contributed hockey statistics to several reputed national dailies. 

What began as a mere interest when he jolted down details from the 1970 Bangkok Asiad, Joshi became the go-to man for hockey statistics from across the globe. With India's dominance at the world stage, his interest in collecting data grew many folds. It was during the 1978 World Cup that his first statistical and analytical piece appeared in a Hindi daily.

During the 1982 World Cup in Bombay, BG Joshi brought out a special issue and in 1986 World Cup he brought out a magazine. From there on, there was no looking back for this modest Bhopal man who would often travel with his wife to FIH tournaments in India post his retirement. 

Mourning his demise, Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam said, "Hockey India deeply mourns the demise of hockey historian BG Joshi. Despite his full-time job as an engineer with the Madhya Pradesh Water Resource Department, he would remain committed to his passion of keeping up with the numbers." 

"There is perhaps no player in the history of modern hockey that BG Joshi didn't have statistics about. He kept records of players debuts, goals, goal assists and so on and also maintained records of global hockey. We have lost a true fan of hockey. Hockey India expresses its deepest condolences to his family members. We share their grief in these sorrowful times," he concluded.

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