At Dhyan Chand stadium, Indian hockey’s past meets its present

young new delhi: Hardik Singh passed the orb to Salima Tete who pushed it farther to Krishan Bahadur Pathak. The bharat goalkeeper, having never scored a goal in his career, made the most of his chance to beat goalie Bichu Devi Kharibam and help the Sports Minister’s XI beat Hockey India’s XI 3-1 in an exhibition game here on Friday.

From the stands, Gurbux Singh, Harbinder Singh, BP Govinda, Zafar Iqbal, MM Somaya and many other legends were watching the action where the Indian men and women players played together to celebrate a rare moment in history. And seeing them all lined up was a unique way to gain an appreciation of the time when India ruled the sport.

As Indian hockey celebrated turning 100 years old, the entire fraternity came together to reminisce about the legacy that spans eight Olympic gold medals, one silver and four bronze.

It was on November 7, 1925 that the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was born in Gwalior. That moment, in its own chaotic way, set into motion a series of events that made hockey the most successful Olympic sport for India.

“It is almost 65 years that I have been associated with the sport and I have lived my best life because of hockey,” said 1964 Tokyo Olympics champion Gurbux Singh, the oldest living Indian hockey Olympian.

Gurbux had trained under the great Roop Singh, two-time Olympic champion and brother of Dhyan Chand. A short distance away, the threads connected again.

Standing in the middle of the National Stadium named after his father, an emotional Ashok Kumar raised his hand to shield his eyes from the morning sun, and looked at his father’s big portrait towards the north stand.

The 75-year-old recalled how he was too embarrassed to show his rich haul of bronze and silver medals from the Olympics, World Cup and Asian Games to his father till 1974. Being the son of a three-time Olympic champion and probably the greatest player to have played hockey, wasn’t easy.

But that changed in 1975 when India clinched their only World Cup crown with Kumar scoring the all-important winning goal to give his team a 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the final at Kuala Lumpur.

But for Kumar the moment of truth came when he returned home to Jhansi and met his father. “I touched babuji’s (father’s) feet. Without saying anything, he patted me on my back. The impact and value of a gold medal was that the greatest player the sport has seen finally showed his appreciation for my achievement.”

A short distance from him, Aslam Sher Khan had a poignant moment when he saw a certain image while walking through a photo exhibition to mark the centenary celebrations. The 1975 World Cup winner asked fans waiting to click selfies to give him a moment as he pointed out his father Ahmed Sher Khan’s photo from the 1936 Berlin Olympics which India won defeating Nazi Germany 8-1 in the final.

While India dominated hockey for the better part of the 20th century, the introduction of the artificial turf in the 1980s proved to be a major blow as Indian authorities struggled to cope with the costs involved. The consequence was that European nations and Australia became the new masters of the game.

A steady decline ensued but Indian hockey saw its nadir in 2008 when it failed to even qualify for the Beijing Olympics. Once masters of the game, India had been shifted to the margins.

However, Indian hockey’s resurgence began after the jolt of 2008. The IHF was derecognised in 2009 and Hockey India (HI) took over as the official body in 2011.

The team qualified for the 2012 London Olympics. At Rio 2016, they made the knockouts. And then in Tokyo 2021, India finally returned to the podium after 41 years. The team repeated the feat last year in Paris to win their first successive Olympic medal in 52 years.

“The professionalism, fitness, and scientific approach of today’s players — from nutrition and recovery to tactical preparation — are world-class,” said 1980 Olympic gold medallist and former India captain MM Somaya. “The Tokyo Olympic bronze was not just a medal; it symbolised the resurgence of Indian hockey. This, in every sense, is a golden generation too.”

---

---