Olympics-The India Story

by Boria Majumdar

  33. Same as Reference 1.

  34. Pankaj Gupta, ‘India’s Hockey Supremacy’, in Sport and Pastime, 10 May 1958, pp. 37–38.

  35. Ibid.

  36. Ibid.

  37. Quoted in the review mentioned in Reference 1.

  38. Ibid.

  39. Ibid.

  40. Ibid.

  41. Quoted in the Statesman, 2 August 1932, p. 11.

  42. The Statesman, 9 August 1932, p. 11.

  43. The Statesman, 4 August 1932, p. 11.

  44. The Statesman, 6 August 1932, p. 12.

  45. Mentioned in Hayman’s review.

  46. The Statesman, 13 August 1932, p. 9.

  47. The Statesman, 14 August 1932, p. 12.

  48. Ibid.

  49. Same as Reference 1.

  50. Ibid.

  51. Ibid.

  52. Ibid.

  53. Ibid.

  54. Ibid.

  55. Ibid.

  56. Ibid.

  57. Ibid.

  58. Quoted in C.D. Parthasarathy, ‘That Golden Age’, in Sport and Pastime, 23 February 1963. The original report is housed in the International Olympic Museum, Lausanne. File OU MO 01 14 36, CIO CNO IND CORR, Olympic Studies Center.

  59. Quoted in, ‘We Climb the Victory Stand: Hockey in Excelsis’, in Anthony S. De Mello, Portrait of Indian Sport (New Delhi: McMillan 1959), pp. 93–95.

  60. C.D. Parthasarathy, ‘That Golden Age’, in Sport and Pastime, 23 February 1963.

  61. Same as Reference 1.

  62. Ibid.

  63. Boria Majumdar, Twenty Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket, (New Delhi: Penguin Viking, 2004), pp. 44.

  64. Mihir Bose, History of Indian Cricket (London: Andre Deutsch, revised and updated 2002), p. 80.

  65. The entire letter is published in Boria Majumdar, The Illustrated History of Indian Cricket (New Delhi: Roli Books, also published from London: Tempus, 2006), p. 84.

  66. For details see Boria Majumdar and Kausik Bandyopadhyay, Goalless: The Story of a Unique Footballing Nation (New Delhi: Penguin Viking, 2006), Ch. 4.

  67. For Indian cricket and the nationalist imagination, particularly in colonial India, see for instance, Ramachandra Guha, Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport (New Delhi: Pan Macmillan, 2002) and Boria Majumdar, Twenty Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket (New Delhi: Penguin, 2004).

  68. See for instance, Kausik Bandopadhyaya, ‘1911 in Retrospect: A Revisionist Perspective on a Famous Indian Sporting Victory’, pp. 27–47.

  69. Boria Majumdar and Kausik Bandopadhyaya, Introduction to A Social History of Indian Football: Striving to Score (London: Routledge, 2006), p. 122.

  CHAPTER 4

  We have extensively used The Statesman reportage for this chapter because the memoirs/travel diaries of the Indian team members were published in this newspaper. Also, the paper documented in considerable detail India’s gold medal winning tryst and thus served as a valuable contemporary source. Other papers like the Times of India were also consulted. However, with the match reports being of a similar nature we preferred the Statesman for this chapter.

  Some facts mentioned in this chapter do not square up with the details in Dhyan Chand’s autobiography. Where there is a dispute over facts, we have decided on balance to favour the considered evidence from other contemporary sources and press reportage on the Berlin Olympiad because Dhyan Chand’s autobiography was only published a decade and a half later in 1952 and is likely that he may have forgotten some details.

  1. Dhyan Chand, Goal, published in Sport and Pastime, 1952. Section on the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The book has been digitized and is available in http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/goal/ accessed 29 September 2007.

  2. For details see; Pankaj Gupta, ‘India’s Hockey Supremacy’, in Sport and Pastime, 10 May 1958, pp. 37–38.

  3. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit.

  4. Ibid.

  5. For an account of Palwankar Baloo’s fascinating story see Boria Majumdar, Twenty Two Yards to Freedom: A Social History of Indian Cricket (New Delhi: Penguin Viking, 2004) and Ramachandra Guha, Corner of a Foreign Field: The Indian History of a British Sport (New Delhi: Pan Macmillan, 2002).

  6. Chris Bishop & David Jordan, The Illustrated History of the Third Reich: Germany’s Victories and Defeat 1939–1945 (Leicester: Silverdale), p. 12.

  7. The IOC awarded the 1936 Olympics to Berlin, over Barcelona, in April 1931.

  8. While Germany had secretly been repudiating the terms of the Treaty of Versailles since the early 1930s, Hitler asked Göring to openly announce the end of Germany’s compliance with the Treaty in March, 1935 and reintroduced conscription. Chris Bishop & David Jordan, The Illustrated History of the Third Reich: Germany’s Victories and Defeat 1939–1945 (Leicester: Silverdale), p. 16.

  9. See for instance, Gary Morris, ‘Lonesome Leni: The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Reifenstahl’, Bright Lights Film Journal, 26, Nov. 1999. http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/26/riefenstahl.html accessed 1 January 2008).

  10. ‘The Façade of Hospitality,’ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/zcd060.htm, accessed 1 January 2008.

  11. Figures from Frank C. Zarnowski, ‘A Look at Olympic Costs’, Citius, Altius, Fortius 1 (1), Summer 1992, pp. 16–32. Also see Arnd Kruger & W.J. Murray (eds.), The Nazi Olympics: Sport, Politics and Appeasement in the 1930s (University of Illinois Press, rev. ed., 2003).

  12. The Statesman, 20 July 1936, p. 11.

  13. Ibid.

  14. Ibid.

  15. Ibid.

  16. Ibid.

  17. For details on the journey see the Statesman, 22 July 1936, p. 11. The quote is from Dhyan Chand, Goal, published in Sport and Pastime, 1952. Section on the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/goal/, accessed 29 September 2007.

  18. The Statesman, 22 July 1936, p. 11.

  19. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit.

  20. The Statesman, 22 July 1936, p. 11.

  21. Ibid.

  22. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit.

  23. Ibid.

  24. The Statesman, 22 July 1936, p. 11.

  25. Mentioned in Pankaj Gupta’s reminiscences on the 1936 Olympiad published in the annual souvenir of the Bengal Hockey Association in 1939.

  26. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit., accessed 4 October 2007.

  27. The Statesman, 23 July 1936, p.11.

  28. The Statesman, 20 August 1936, p.13.

  29. The Statesman, 28 July 1936, p.11.

  30. The Statesman, 15 July 1936, p. 13.

  31. The Statesman, 28 July 1936, p.12.

  32. Ibid.

  33. M.N. Masood, The World’s Hockey Champions 1936, The book has been digitized and is available in http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/champions/, accessed 4 October 2007.

  34. Ibid.

  35. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit., accessed 4 October 2007.

  36. M.N. Masood, The World’s Hockey Champions 1936, op. cit.

  37. Ibid.

  38. Ibid.

  39. See for instance, http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/ zcc028.htm, accessed 5 January 2008.

  40. The Statesman, 2 August 1936, p.9.

  41. The Statesman, 2 August 1936, p.9.

  42. Jawaharlal Nehru quoted in T.A. Keenleyside, ‘Prelude to Power: The Meaning of Non-Alignment Before Independence’, Pacific Affairs Vol. 53, No. 3 (Autumn 1980) p. 467.

  43. See Rajmohan Gandhi, Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire (New Delhi: Penguin, 2006), pp. 443–46.

  44. T.A. Keenleyside, ‘Prelude to Power: The Meaning of Non-Alignment Before Independence’, Pacific Affairs Vol. 53, No. 3 (Autumn 1980) p. 464.

  45. The Statesman, 30 July 1936.

  46. The Statesman, 31 July 1936, p.13.

  47. The government required the Indian Broadcasting Company to collect licence fees and its share of import duties on radio equipment on its o
wn. When the company collapsed, it was taken over by the government and renamed as the Indian State Broadcasting Service. The nomenclature of All India Radio was adopted in 1936. Until 1937, it functioned under the Department of Industries and Labour, whereupon it was transferred to the Department of Communication. The new Department of Information and Broadcasting assumed control over it in 1941 and upon independence in 1947, it became a new ministry. Chatterjee, Broadcasting in India, pp. 39–41.

  48. The Statesman, 4 August 1936, p.11.

  49. The Statesman, 13 August 1936, p.11.

  50. Ibid.

  51. Ibid.

  52. The Statesman, 11 August 1936, p. 9.

  53. For details on this visit see the Statesman, 10 July 1936, p.15.

  54. The Statesman, 28 July 1936, p.12.

  55. For a detailed match report see the Statesman, 7 August 1936, p.12.

  56. Ibid.

  57. Ibid.

  58. The Statesman, 13 August 1936, p.11.

  59. The Statesman, 22 August 1936, p.13.

  60. The Statesman, 9 August 1936, p.14.

  61. The Statesman, 20 August 1936, p.13.

  62. Ibid.

  63. The Statesman, 12 August 1936, p.11.

  64. We are thankful to Isabella Fillon and Anne Jacquet from the Images Division at the IOC Museum, Lausanne, for showing us these videos.

  65. The Statesman, 13 August 1936, p.11.

  66. The Statesman, 14 August 1936, p.11.

  67. The Statesman, 31 August 1936, p.11.

  68. The Statesman, 16 August 1936, p.11.

  69. Ibid.

  70. The Statesman, 23 August 1936, p.17.

  71. The Statesman, 19 August 1936, p.11.

  72. Dhyan Chand, Goal, op. cit.

  73. M.N. Masood, The World’s Hockey Champions 1936, op. cit.

  74. The Statesman, 20 August 1936, p. 13.

  75. For details see Gulu Ezekiel and K. Arumugam, Great Indian Olympians (New Delhi: Thendral Thambi Publications, 2004).

  CHAPTER 5

  1. Brian Stoddart, ‘Sport, Cultural Imperialism and Colonial Response in the British Empire: a Framework for Analysis’, in Comparative Studies in Society And History, 14, no. 3 (Winter 1987), p. 673.

  2. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, The book has been digitized and is available in http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/hattrick/, accessed 12 December 2007. Section on 1956 Melbourne Olympiad.

  3. Dhyan Chand, Goal, published in Sport and Pastime, 1952. The book has been digitized and is available in http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/goal/, accessed 10 November 2007.

  4. For Orwell’s take on sport also see; ‘The Sporting Spirit’, in http://www.george-orwell.org/The_Sporting_Spirit/0.html.

  5. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, op. cit.

  6. For details see; Jeremy Black, The British Seaborne Empire, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2004).

  7. ‘Indian Hockey Team in London’, in the Times of India, 16 July 1948.

  8. ‘Another magnificent display by Babu’, in the Times of India, 28 June1948.

  9. Ibid., 2 July 1948.

  10. Ibid., 3 July 1948.

  11. Ibid., 20 July 1948.

  12. Ibid., 12 July 1948.

  13. Ibid., 20 July 1948.

  14. The Times of India reported the protest at length. For details see edition of 22 July 1948.

  15. Ibid., 28 July 1948.

  16. For a detailed report on India’s performance against Argentina, see the Times of India, 5 August 1948.

  17. Ibid., 8 August 1948.

  18. Ibid.

  19. Ibid.

  20. Ibid., 11 August 1948.

  21. Ibid.

  22. Ibid., 12 August 1948.

  23. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/hattrick/Section on London 1948, accessed 12 December 2007.

  24. The Times of India, 12 August 1948.

  25. For details see ‘We Climb the Victory Stand: Hockey in Excelsis’, in Anthony S. De Mello, Portrait of Indian Sport (New Delhi: Macmillan, 1959).

  26. The Times of India, 13 August 1948.

  27. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, op. cit.

  28. Ibid.

  29. The Times of India, 19 June 1952.

  30. Ibid.

  31. Ibid.

  32. Ibid.

  33. Ibid., 22 July 1952.

  34. Ibid., 18 July 1952.

  35. Quoted in Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, op. cit.

  36. Ibid.

  37. The Times of India, 22 July 1952.

  38. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick, op. cit.

  39. Ibid.

  40. For details see; Pankaj Gupta, ‘India’s Hockey Supremacy’, in Sport and Pastime, 10 May 1958, pp. 37–38.

  41. The Hindu, 27 November 1956.

  42. Ibid.

  43. For details of India’s performance against the US, see the Hindu 29 November 1956.

  44. The Hindu, 1 December 1956.

  45. For details see Pankaj Gupta, ‘India’s Hockey Supremacy’, in Sport and Pastime, 10 May 1958, pp. 37–38.

  46. The Hindu, 4 December 1956.

  47. Balbir Singh, The Golden Hattrick,

  48. Ibid.

  49. Pankaj Gupta, ‘Past Matches Recalled’, the Hindu, 26 August 1960.

  50. (emphasis ours) For details see; Pankaj Gupta, ‘India’s Hockey Supremacy’, in Sport and Pastime, 10 May 1958, pp. 37–38.

  51. For details see the Hindu 28 August 1960.

  52. Ibid., 6 September 1960.

  53. Ibid., 31 August 1960.

  54. Ibid., 8 September 1960.

  55. Ibid., 10 September 1960.

  56. S.M. Sait, ‘Rome Debacle and Its Lessons’, Indian Olympic News Vol. 1, no. 4, July 1962. The writer was honorary secretary, Indian Hockey Federation, NA

  57. See for instance, S.M. Sait, ‘Robust Hockey Vs. Skilful Hockey’, Indian Olympic News Vol. 2, no. 2, May 1963 pp. 35–36.

  58. S.M. Sait, ‘Rome Debacle and Its Lessons’, Indian Olympic News Vol 1, no. 4, July 1962., NA

  59. Charanjit Rai, ‘How to Regain World Hockey Title’, Indian Olympic News Vol. 1, no. 4, July 1962, p. 35.

  60. Ibid., pp. 35–36.

  61. T.D. Parthasarathy, ‘India’s Chances in Hockey’, the Hindu, 10 October 1964.

  62. Ibid.

  63. For details on this match see the Hindu 12 October 1964.

  64. Ibid., 13 October 1964.

  65. Ibid., 15 October 1964.

  66. Ibid., 20 October 1964.

  67. Ibid., 22 October 1964.

  68. Rene G. Frank, ‘Sayonara Tokyo—Au Revoir Tokyo: The Olympic Tournament in Retrospect’, FIH Official Bulletin, No. 13, Dec. 1964, pp. 10–11.

  69. Ibid.

  70. For details on this match see the Hindu, 24 October 1964.

  71. Ibid.

  72. Ibid.

  73. For details see the Times of India, 21 July 1980.

  74. Ibid., 2 August 1980.

  75. Ibid., 21 July 1980.

  76. Ibid.

  77. Ibid., 22 July 1980.

  78. Ibid.

  79. Ibid., 24 July 1980.

  80. Ibid., 25 July 1980.

  81. Ibid., 27 July 1980.

  82. Ibid., 30 July 1980.

  83. Ibid.

  84. Ibid.

  85. Ibid., 3 August 1980.

  86. Ibid.

  87. Ibid., 2 August 1980.

  CHAPTER 6

  1. Pankaj Gupta quoted in IOA Annual Report, 1962, p. 2 CIO CNO IND GENER OU MO 01 14 36 INDE Correspondance Generale 1950–1981

  2. For details see; Steve Ruskin, ‘Reign on the Wane’, Sports Illustrated, 85 (4), 22 July 1996, pp. 170–74.

  3. ‘They Don’t Give a Damn’, Dhanraj Pillay interview with Shantanu Guha Ray,16 June 2007, http://www.tehelka.com/story_main31.asp?filename=hub160607They_dont.asp

  4. Even college magazines like those of the Presidency and St Xavier’s Colleges in Calcutta between 1920 and 1940 are full
of praise for the Indian hockey team’s performance at the Olympics.

  5. ‘Milestones Along the Olympic Road’, See section ‘The Fall of Rome’, World Hockey: The Magazine of the International Hockey Federation, No. 26, June 1976, p. 6.

  6. Even in the match for the seventh position, India got a lucky break against England, winning 2–1.

  7. For details see; http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/10/stories/2007091055590100.htm, accessed 14 November 2007.

  8. Laxmi Negi, ‘Euphoria Over. Chak De’s Soi Moi aka Nisha Nair is Back on Turf’, 1 February 2008, the Indian Express, Mumbai Newsline, p. 1.

  9. This is despite the fact that women’s hockey has given India more laurels in recent times than men’s hockey. As recently reported by the Hindustan Times, ‘After 1982, international success (in women’s hockey) was hard to come by. The nadir was hit in the 1998 world cup in The Netherlands when India finished 12th, losing 0–5 to China. They redeemed themselves somewhat in the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, reaching the semifinals before losing 1–3 to Australia. By year-end, though, the turnaround had begun with a silver medal in the Bangkok Asian Games. A runner up finish following a sudden death 2–3 loss to South Korea in the 1999 Asia Cup final showed that women’s hockey was back on track. Then came the biggest high of all. India won the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold in Manchester despite there being stronger teams like Australia, New Zealand and England in the fray. . .Gold in the Afro-Asian Games and in a four nation meet in Singapore, where India thrashed South Korea 3–0 in the final in 2005, and a runner up finish in the Indira Gandhi Gold Cup the same year showed that it paid to reckon with India now.’ Hindustan Times, 1 October 2007.

  10. This is point made forcefully by Shekhar Gupta in ‘The HMT Advantage’, The Indian Express, Feb 15, 2003. Shekhar Gupta defines ‘HMT’ as ‘Hindimedium types’ who are increasingly breaking the barriers of elitism in various sectors of the economy and also in Indian cricket.

  11. ‘Germany First Champions on Artificial Turf’, World Hockey, October 1975, No 24, p. 8.

  12. File OU MO01 14 36, CIO CNO IND CORR, Olympic Studies Centre, IOC Museum, Lausanne. This file deals primarily with correspondence exchanged between the Indian Olympic Association and the Indian Olympic Committee. Also, any document sent from India to the IOC—letters, pamphlets, constitutions etc have been retained in this file.

  13. For details see; Pargat Singh, ‘IHF destroying Indian Hockey’, available online at http://www.indianhockey.com/phpmodule/view, accessed 15 December 2005.