Hockey statistician BG Joshi passes away due to COVID-19 related complications

In a sport where statistics are difficult to find, BG Joshi not just kept track of them but also provided them freely to anyone in need.

Born on November 27, 1954 in a village in Rajgarh district, BG Joshi was known across the world as one of the few who stayed updated with the numbers and figures in hockey.

Noted hockey statistician BG Joshi passed away due to COVID-related complications in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday.

He was 67 and is survived by his wife Krishna, sons Shravan and Neeraj, daughter-in-laws and a grandson and granddaughter each. Born on November 27, 1954 in a village in Rajgarh district, Baboolal Goverdhan Joshi was known across the world as one of the few who stayed updated with the world of numbers and figures in hockey.

In a sport where even official records have hardly been maintained in the past and statistics are difficult to find, ‘Joshi ji ’ as he was known not just kept track of them but also provided them freely to anyone in need.

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For most Indian journalists dabbling in the sport, he was the go-to man for any information – records, caps, scores, match or player details. Sadly, his painstaking body of work in the sport found little support or appreciation in official hockey circles.

Joshi also contributed statistics regularly to various publications, including The Hindu and Sportstar – one of the earliest to recognise his work -- for more than three decades.  A civil engineer by profession and retired from the Water Works department of the MP government, Joshi was a permanent fixture at every international hockey match, regardless of the teams playing.

He spent out of his pocket to travel abroad for World Cups and other major events - barring Olympics - and Tokyo had been on his wishlist.