The year 1896 is one of the most significant in the history of sports, as it marks the introduction of the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. It has been 128 years since then, and this global sporting competition continues to capture the imagination of people around the world.
The Olympics rejuvenate the world every four years, and it would not be wrong to say that it is one of the richest legacies on the planet. What makes it even more interesting are the various sub-legacies that the Olympic Games have inspired.
The United States has dominated the track and field arena. Of late, this dominance has been challenged by Jamaica.
In swimming, it’s the US, Australia, and France that have retained their legacies. But these three nations have not been able to do the same in diving, where the Chinese rule.
The African nations have had a grip in the marathon events at the Olympics and the Russians have performed consistently well in the field of gymnastics.
The nations of the east like China, Indonesia, and Malaysia have had a rich legacy of success in ping pong and badminton. Of late, India has put up a significant challenge to them in Badminton. The Central Asian nations and areas around the Caspian Sea have done well in wrestling. Iran and Bulgaria have held on to their rich legacies in wrestling and so has Japan.
The English have a rich legacy in the fields of cycling, rowing, and equestrian events. The Germans have consistently challenged the English in equestrian sports. The South Koreans are great archers historically, while the Kiwis have a rich legacy in canoeing that they have retained.
Legacy that stands the test of time
In all the legacies at the Olympics there is one legacy that has stood the test of time. It is the legacy of the nation of India in field hockey. It is indeed one of the most important sporting legacies in the history of the Olympics. From 1928 to 1956, India won six straight gold medals at the Olympics. Not only did India win as a team but it showcased some of the best Olympians in the world.
Major Dhyan Chand Singh scored 14 goals in the 1928 edition, including three goals in the final against the Dutch. Indian hockey has thrown some amazing talents that not just excelled at the Olympics but in other walks of life as well.
The 1928 hockey team captain Jaipal Singh Munda went on to become a member of the Constituent Assembly who debated on the new constitution of India. His beginnings as a kid involved rearing livestock in present day Jharkhand.
The captain of the 1932 Olympics was an extraordinary man in himself. Lal Shah Bokhari’s team won gold for India with ease. He eventually migrated to Pakistan post Partition and became an Ambassador of Pakistan to Iraq and Sri Lanka.
Even after winning in 1928 and 1932, the Indian hockey team was yet to be accepted as world champions. This was because in the Los Angeles edition of 1932, the European teams had not participated due to the Great Depression. The Indian hockey team laid this debate to rest in 1936 with Major Dhyan Chand Singh as captain.
Just before their departure to Berlin for the Olympics though, the Indian team lost 1-4 to Delhi XI. Then, in the final against Germany, Dhyan Chand lost a tooth in a collision. He then played barefoot to score three goals and India won 8-1 to secure the gold medal.
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Punjab dominance, and rise of Pakistan
The 1948 Olympic Games were truly historic as independent India defeated England in the final. This was not easy because India had lost four players to Pakistan as a result of the Partition. This edition gave rise to another stalwart from Punjab—Balbir Singh Dosanjh Sr. He was an ornament to the game.
Put simply, Balbir was one of the best centre-forwards in the history of the game. This sounds more incredible because Balbir initially started as a goalkeeper. His father, a freedom fighter, was seldom around during Balbir’s childhood because he would be frequently put in jail. By the time the next Olympics were held in 1956 in Australia, Balbir had become a world-class hockey player.
He displayed his prowess with the stick in a way that this legacy stands tall even today. The Sikh community and Punjab have been a goldmine for great hockey players. It is a legacy within a legacy as far as Indian hockey is concerned. As of now, the tribals of East India have made this legacy richer.
It was evident during Melbourne in 1956 that the Partition had resulted in a new force in hockey in the form of Pakistan. India lost her gold medal winning streak at Rome in 1960 to Pakistan. An element of rivalry was added to the legacy of Indian hockey. Thus began the age of free flowing hockey involving individual brilliance in the form of carrying the ball to the opponent’s goal. It was the age of dribbling and skill and individuals holding on to the ball.
The 1964 team had the Sikh and Punjab influence all over it except the goalkeeper who was from Madhya Pradesh and eventually became a hero in a tense match against an offensive Pakistan. Shankar Laxman from the Maratha Light Infantry was the wall of India much like PR Sreejesh has been recently. It can be said that Sreejesh’s pursuits as a goalkeeper have been an extension of what Laxman did in the 1960s for Indian hockey.
India took bronze in 1968 and 1972 as the two editions saw the rise of Pakistan as a force in the world of hockey. The 1976 edition was the first true setback for Indian hockey at the Olympics as India did not finish on the podium. India, however, turned it around with a little bit of luck at Moscow in 1980. India benefited from the fact that the great powers of hockey boycotted Moscow.
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A rich legacy becomes richer
One of the unique aspects of the rich legacy of Indian hockey is the diversity of players that have represented India. Allan Schofield was born to an Irish father and Keralite mother. He was a complete outsider to hockey. A budding cricketer to begin with, he quit the sport because he could not arrange Rs 5 for the monthly fee. Cricket’s loss was hockey’s gain as Allan became the goalkeeper for India at the Olympics.
Little did we know that the Moscow triumph of 1980 would lead to an era of 40 years before Indian hockey would win a medal again at the Olympics at Tokyo 2020. The introduction of astro turf in the 1980s was one of the main reasons for India’s inability to win a medal at the Olympics. Karachi had an astro turf surface before India and the Pakistanis had better equipment in the 1980s in the form of Grays’ sticks from Australia, which were supposedly better than the Vampire of India.
It has taken four decades for Indian hockey to re-establish itself as an Olympic powerhouse. India has now finished with a medal in two consecutive Olympic editions: 2020 and 2024. This is a spectacular achievement. India lost a close match to Germany in the 2024 semi-final and was unlucky to be handed a red card at a vital stage in the tournament.
Indian field hockey has a rich legacy at the Olympics. India won the bronze by defeating Spain 2-1, securing its 13th medal at the Olympics. This legacy becomes richer when we take into account the number of great Olympians that India has produced since 1928.
Kush Singh @singhkb is founder, The Cricket Curry Tour Company. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Article is good, but I expected it to contain details on how India regained its glory after five decades. He should have mentioned contribution of Odisha govt in rise of Indian hockey. It has become official sponsor of India Hockey team since 2018 and will remain so till 2036. Out of the four Hockey World cups held in India two are held in Odisha (2018 and 2023).