In the lead up to Rio Olympics, which begin on 5 August, 2016, we will be recounting some of the greatest moments in the history of the games, celebrating legends, revisiting controversies, iconic moments and inspiring stories from yesteryear. We will be profiling Indian medal winners and of course, look forward to the biggest sporting event of the year.
50 days, 50 videos, 50 memorable stories!
50 days to go: The Great Indian Hockey Run
First in the series of our 50 videos is remembering the great run of the Indian hockey team starting from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. The golden era of Indian hockey, quite literally, saw India win gold medals in six straight games, till 1956, Melbourne. The run that started in 1928 and ended in 1980 saw India win 8 golds, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals, unprecedented in the history of the sport.
And then started the barren run, as a variety of factors — growth in popularity of cricket, inability to adjust to the astro-turf among others — led to India not winning a medal in any of the eight Olympic games since.
But the hopes are higher this time around. Can Sardar Singh and Co break the jinx?