It took almost 1500 years to revive Olympics: it was banned in AD 394 by the Roman emperor Theodosius because he considered them, and his consideration was important in the context that the Romans had conquered Greece in the first century BC, indecent rites of the ancient Greek.
In 1894, at an international conference on sports held in Paris, a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin, who was fascinated by ancient Greeks,presented his idea, in fact a dream of bringing back the Olympics Games. In just two years, in 1896, the modern Olympics was inaugurated in Greece. Since it was the dream of Pierre de Coubertin that made possible the rebirth of Olympics, he is known as the father of the modern Olympics.
Also Read: Introduction of Events in the Olympics
India in Olympics Hockey
India had such a glorious past in Olympics Hockey that at that period whatever the India Hockey stick touched, turned to gold. India has won a total of eight Olympics gold medals in Hockey. At the 1928 Olympics the Indian team won Asia’s first Olympics medal. In 1932, India beat Japan to take the gold medal. Indian team is the record holder for the largest victory margin in an Olympics final by beatingGermany 8-1 in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. India also has in its records list, the record of the largest victory margin in a pool match, India 24, USA 1, in the 1932 Olympics and the largest number of consequentive victories from 1928 to 1960.
As an independent country, India’s first sporting achievement was the Olympics Hockey gold medal in 1948 when India defeated England 4-0. India was so dominant in the game of Hockey in Olympics that it took 40 years before a country scored more than one goal against it in the 1968 Olympics.
Must Read: Hockey : A brief introduction
Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand has the honour of being called the greatest exponent of Hockey in India-Hockey stick. Dhyan Chand as a sepoy in the Indian Army, played for his regiment in his early career. Dhyan chand scored an unbelievable 133 out of total of 338 goals scored by Indian team in 37 matches. On his performance Adolf Hitler had said, “If you were a German, I would have made you at least a Major General.”
Dhyan chand was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1956 and India Government also issued a stamp in 1980 in his honour. On Dhyan Chand’s birthday, 29th of August, is observed National Sports Day.
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Milkha Singh: the ‘flying Sikh’
The ‘Flying Sikh’ is a fitting tribute to Milkha Singh because he set the track ablaze with his pace. He broke, in 1958, the national record in 200m and 400m in the National Games at Cuttak. In 1958, in Asid at Tokyo, he won the 400m and in the same year he won gold in 400m at the Commonwealth Games.
Milkha Singh, in 1960, went to Rome Olympics as one of the favorites but finished fourth, just contrary to the expectations, even though his time 45.6 seconds was better than existing Olympics record.
Must Read: Facts About ‘The Flying Sikh’ – Milkha Singh
Ashok Kumar
The son of Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand, Ashok Kumar also was a gifted player of Hockey. He represented India twice in the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. On both occasions India got Bronze medals. He was also the member of that India Hockey team that won bronze at the first World Cup in Barcelona in 1971, and Silver at the second World Cup in Amsterdam. The 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur was the highlight of his career where he scored all important goal to win the gold medal for India against Pakistan.
P.T. Usha
Born in 1964 in Kerala, P.T. Usha, fondly known as ‘Payyoli Express’ for her pace, is known as the originaltrack queen of India. In her very first international performance, in the 1980 Pakistan Open National Meet, P.T. Usha won four gold medals. In 1982, in the World junior invitation meet at Seoul, she won gold medal in 200 m, and bronze in 100 m.
Usha is the first woman and 5th Indian to reach the final of an Olympics event. The Seoul Olympics in 1988 was a disappointment for her as she was unable to make the finals. However, she came back at the game with a bang and at the Asian Track Federation Meet in Delhi and won four gold and two silver medals. She was named the ‘Sports Person of the Century’ and was awarded the Arjuna award in 1983 and Padma Shri in 1985.
Also Read: Ancient Olympic Games
Karnam Malleswari
Hailing from a small village in Andhra Pradesh, Karnam Malleswari first came into limelight when she became the world champion in the weightlifting categories of 63 kg in 1993 and 1994. In 1995, in the World weightlifting championship held in China, Karnam Malleswari set a new World record by wining three gold medals in the 54kg category. She has also won the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award in 1994-95. She did her country proud by winning a bronze medal in the 69 kg weight categories at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Leander Paes
Born in 1973, Leander Paes started playing tennis at the tender age of six, although he was at that time much attracted to football. However, leander’s first connection with Olympics is that his father Vece Paes is a former Olympics Hockey player.
The most precious possession of Paes, the second Indian to win an individual medal at Olympics, is the bronze medal he won at the Attanta Olympics in 1996. He played against Andre Agassi, one of the toughest opponents in the history of the game. For the Bronze medal he played against Fernando Meligeni and defeated him. In 2000, in the Sydney Games he partnered Mahesh Bhupati but the duo had a very disappointing exit in the second round itself. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, he teamed up with Bhupati again but failed again in the semifinals.
Anjali Bhagwat
Anjali Bhagwat, a professional rifle shooter, got famous when she won four gold medals at 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games. At become only the second India women to reach an Olympics final, and ended with a credible 7th position. She has been honoured, as the country recognized her talents, theArjuna Award in 2000, and Rajiv Gandhi khel Ratna award in the period covering 2002-2003.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
He rose to fame when he bagged the first individual silver medal for India in the men’s double trap shootingevent at the summer Olympics of 2004 in Athens.
A Lt. Colonal in the Indian Army, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore held the National Championship tittle continuously since 1999. At the 17th Commonwealth Games 2002, he set a new record. In 2004, he won gold medals in the individual and the team events at the Aisan Clay Shooting championship. For him, thecrowing glory was his Silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He has been awarded: the Arjuna Award; Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Award and the Padma Shri.
Must Read: Facts of Athens Games
Kashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav (1926-1984)
Hailing from a wrestling background Kashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav was independent India’s first individual medalist at the Olympics. Although his main interest was in wrestling, he excelled in many other sports like swimming, running, weightlifting etc. In Helsinki Olympics in 1952, he won a bronze for India in the bantam weight class. He was awarded the Chatrapati Shivaji Award posthumously in 1994.
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