Following the previous part of the series, this part looks at the following seven Indian athletes and teams who won laurels for the country at the Olympic Games.
Indian Olympic Medal Winners: Part 2 (1956-1996)
India became the pride in the Olympic movement from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. We look at the men’s field hockey team, their gold and bronze medal wins, and other milestones in other sports. These stories inspire Indian athletes to bring laurels to the country. Here are some people and groups we are proud to honour as we commemorate these great Olympians.
- Men's Field Hockey Team (1956 Melbourne Olympics) - Gold
The Indian men’s field hockey team kept on with their winning tradition at the Melbourne Olympics of 1956, clinching the sixth consecutive gold medal. The team was led by the captain, Balbir Singh Sr., who had been the decisive factor in the previous victories in the years 1948 and 1952; the team was in good form. The final match was highly anticipated, and the two powerful teams, India and Pakistan, were up against each other.
In a nail-biting finish Randhir Singh Gentle put the ball into the net, and India won the match 1-0. This victory emphasised India’s hegemony over the game of field hockey, especially in the Olympics.
- Men's Field Hockey Team (1960 Rome Olympics) - Silver
The Indian hockey team failed to win the gold for the first time since 1928 and had to settle for silver, in 1960 Rome Olympics. The Indian team was led by Leslie Claudius. With other teams catching up, India had its work cut out. The team, however, produced excellent performances in the group stages. In the final Pakistan defeated India 1-0, thus India’s 32 years of domination as Olympic champions in field hockey came to an end.
- Men's Field Hockey Team (1964 Tokyo Olympics) - Gold
India once again ascended the throne of men's field hockey in 1964 during the Tokyo Olympics winning its seventh gold medal. Under the captaincy of Charanjit Singh, the team was very productive and very aggressive in all the matches of the tournament.
India beat Pakistan in the final 1–0 to clinch the championship, with Mohinder Lal producing the winner. India was once again at the top. India had beaten Spain, Malaysia, and Australia during the preliminary round held in Tokyo, and their strategies were exemplary during the game. The star performers were Prithipal Singh in the defence and Shankar Laxman in the midfield. This win in 1964 only went on to cement the fact that India was a force to be reckoned with in the field of hockey.
- Men's Field Hockey Team (1968 Mexico City Olympics) - Bronze
In the Mexico City Olympics of 1968, the Indian men’s field hockey team clinched the bronze medal, thus extending the tradition of winning medals.
The team that captain Prithipal Singh led put up a good fight and played well in the tournament. In the match for third and fourth position, they beat West Germany with a score of 2-1. This victory was mainly due to the contributions of Ajitpal Singh and Balbir Singh Sr..
- Men's Field Hockey Team (1972 Munich Olympics) - Bronze
The Indian men’s field hockey team that participated in the 1972 Munich Olympics was a great side marshalled by Harmik Singh. Amidst all the obstacles that occurred, they remained steadfast and clinched the bronze with a 2-1 victory over the Netherlands, with players like Balbir Singh Sr. and Ajitpal Singh sounding the boards
The 1972 Olympics was marred by political crises and the tragedy of the Munich massacre, but the Indian team on the field remained a source of happiness, solace, and great honour
Their performance not only showcased their talent but also gave a message of togetherness and dreams for the whole of India, thus writing a another winning chapter in the history of Indian sports.
13. Indian Hockey Team (1980 Moscow Olympics) - Gold
Indian men’s field hockey team once again came into the limelight in the year 1980 Moscow Olympics and won the gold. The team led by Vasudevan Baskaran, dominated most of the teams in the course of the tournament.
India won the gold by defeating the Spanish side 4-3 in the final match, and the match was very close as both teams were on par. Surinder Singh Sodhi emerged as the champion of the finals with a splendid performance and a hat trick in the final.
The 1980 Olympics was a significant event for the Indian hockey team, which unexpectedly clinched the gold. In the backdrop of the Cold War, most Western countries boycotted the Games. This unexpected triumph, in such challenging conditions, further solidified the team’s place in the history of Field Hockey.
- Leander Paes (1996 Atalanta) - Tennis Singles - Bronze Medal.
He wrote a new chapter in Indian sports history when he won the bronze in men’s singles tennis at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Paes won the bronze match over Fernando Meligeni of Brazil. He knocked out seeded players in the early rounds of the tournament, including South Africa’s Wayne Ferreira and Italy’s Renzo Furlan. Paes was behind gold medalist Andre Agassi of the United States and Sergi Bruguera from Spain, standing second. This was indeed a triumph for Indian tennis and is still one of the crown jewels of Indian sports, even in today’s world.
These are the stories of India’s Olympic heroes from 1956 to 1996, a story that is carried on for the next generation. From the men’s field hockey team, which was unbeatable and clinched successive gold and bronze medals, to Leander Paes, who broke barriers in tennis at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, these athletes and teams are legends in Olympic history. This paved the way for generations of Indians to embrace the sporting culture.