Tarlochan Singh Bawa played hockey for India at the 1948 Olympics. He studied at Dyal Singh College in Lahore, and later played for the YMCA Club and Brothers Club in Lahore. He was on the Punjab Regional team from 1945-56, and captained that team in 1952. In addition to his Olympic appearance, he was capped in test matches against Japan. In 1949 joined the Punjab police force as an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). He remained a police officer throughout his career, retiring in 1981 as superintendent of police in Haryana.