This sprawling house of two-time Olympic Gold Medallist hockey player KD Singh Babu, will soon be a tourist attraction The Uttar Pradesh government plans to convert the ancestral mansion in Barabanki, near Lucknow, into a museum Who is KD Singh? Kunwar Digvijay Singh, fondly known as KD Singh 'Babu', was the vice-captain of the Indian Hockey team that clinched Independent India's first Olympic gold medal in the 1948 London Olympics The feat was repeated in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics when Singh was the captain of the team In 1953, Singh was awarded the Helms Trophy by the American Helms Foundation and named Asia's Athlete of the Year He was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1958. After retiring in 1959, Singh coached many youngsters to achieve their hockey dreams. Kuwar Dhirendra Singh, the elder son of KD Singh, says the family welcomes the government's decision to convert the sprawling 35,000 sq ft ancestral house into a museum "After winning the Olympics, there a was celebration in our locality with my dad standing in a jeep which was driven by the SP and with the Governor sitting in it. The jeep went around the locality with people following it" "If the ancestral house is converted into a memorial by the government, it will be a good thing as it will inspire the kids." Report and video : Sandeep Saxena Production : Gayatri Menon Voiceover: Sharmada Venkatasubramanian Thank you for watching our video! You can subscribe to our channel here: https://bit.ly/3c8Adi6 Visit https://www.thehindu.com/ for the latest updates, analysis, opinions, and more. You can also download our apps: Android: https://bit.ly/3nboBEi iOs: https://apple.co/3EDCwt4 The Hindu is committed to keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda. You can support us by subscribing to our digital offerings here: https://bit.ly/3emywiz Follow us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_hindu Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_hindu/ #olympics #kdsingh #upgovernment