CHANDIGARH:
August 12
,
1948
, the day holds a very special place in Indian sports. It was the day when India won its first Olympic medal – a gold in men’s hockey – after independence. And, its opposition in the final was none other than Britain – a country that ruled Indian for almost 200 years.
The 1948 Games was being held after a gap of 12 years in a world that was reeling from the aftershock of World War II. In it, there were a clutch of newly-independent nations taking part for the very first time. Though India was a participating nation in Olympics from 1920, it was her first tryst with Olympics as a free nation.
Interestingly, it was also the first time that the Indian national anthem was sung in front of thousands of fans at the iconic
Wembley Stadium
– in addition to the unfurling of our national flag in Britain, as India beat the hosts in the final. The Queen of England was the chief guest for the occasion.
With the legendary Dhyan Chand not featuring for the Indian team, the Leslie Claudius-led side battled all odds on their way to triumph. The success of the hockey team at the 1948 Olympics was a lot significant since India had become independent just a year back.
Though there were predictions of an India-Pakistan final, but Britain managed to put it across Pakistan in the semifinal to set up final clash against India. When the final was held at Wembley Stadium on August 12 – before some 10,000 spectators – neither the wet weather nor a muddy ground could stop the Indian team. The Indian team outclassed the British team with their superb ball control, accurate passing and intelligent positional play.
August 12, 1956 is yet another historical date for the Indian hockey team, as it completed a hat-trick of gold in the Melbourne Olympics.
After winning gold medals in the 1948 and 1952 Games, the Indian side was looking for a historic treble. The stage was set for the team and their final opponent was none other than arch-rivals Pakistan. Fullback
Randhir Singh Gentle
scored the winner in the 38th minute and sealed another hockey gold for the country.
More than 60 years have passed and August 12 is still remembered as Indian hockey’s luckiest date.
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