Indian Hockey: milestones of glory

Eight successive Olympic golds (1928 Amsterdam - 1956 Melbourne)

A feat that is still talked about, in fact, raved, even today is the Indian hockey team's spectacular feat of winning six Olympic golds. The reign started in 1928 in Amsterdam and during the next five Olympic Games, the Indians unleashed a reign of terror on their opponents. Led by the legendary Dhyan Chand, whose stick work was nothing less than magic, the Indians absolutely dominated the sport, not losing a single game at the Summer Games during their successful run. If not for World War II which caused the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics, the mighty Indians could have had two more to the kitty. Given that India was not even a sporting nation, let alone a powerhouse, in those pre and post-Independence days, the hockey medal was a sense of pride for all. That pride is still felt even today and is a feat no one has been able to replicate.

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1975 World Cup 

One of the biggest rivalries in the world of sport is that of India and Pakistan in hockey and cricket. Both countries hate losing to each other and there's always a needle in every clash. India had revenge on their mind in the 1975 World Cup final after having lost the 1973 final to their arch-rivals. Pakistan also halted India's run of six straight gold medals at the Olympics, beating them in the 1960 final in Rome. India had a crack team with players like Ashok Kumar, Dhyan Chand's son, Aslam Sher Khan, Ajit Pal Singh, Leslie Fernandez and BP Govinda to name a few. Pakistan opened the scoring in the 17th minute but a determined India hit back through Surjit Singh and Ashok Kumar in the second to clinch their maiden World Cup. It remains India's only World Cup success till date.

2014 Asian Games 

Enjoying unparalleled success, India's hockey fortunes started to dwindle post the advent of astroturf in the 1980s. While the Europeans and Australians adapted to the artificial grass very well with their industrial and organisational play, India, which rode heavily on individual brilliance and flair, simply struggled to cope with the change. They just kept falling down the pecking order, plummeting to the depths when they failed to qualify for the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. The game, also mired in organisational chaos, needed a catalyst for change. That came at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon where India produced a whole-hearted performance to win a much-awaited gold. In a bitterly fought final against Pakistan that went to a shoot-out, goalkeeper PR Srejeesh showed nerves of steel as India scored a remarkable 4-2 triumph that left several players in tears of joy.