Punjab in Sports: Punjab Driving Indian Hockey

Part 6 of 9 Part Series-6/9

 

In the 1952 Olympics, there were five players from Punjab. In the 1956 Olympics, when India completed its second hat-trick of Olympic gold in hockey, there were eight players from Punjab.

In 1960, five players from Punjab were part of the team. For the first time, the Indian men’s hockey team lost the final since making its Olympic debut. In the final, India lost to Pakistan by a goal (0-1).

Pakistan won its first Olympic gold in men’s hockey in 1960, with half of the team from West Punjab (Punjab Province in Pakistan). Pakistan also won its first individual medal in the Olympics when wrestler Muhammad Bashir, from Lahore—a region that once fell in undivided Punjab—won bronze. 

Other than hockey, the highlight of the Indian contingent in the 1960 Olympics was the near podium finish by Punjab’s legendary athlete Milkha Singh. He finished fourth, but Milkha, along with the three medalists, broke the existing 400m world record in the race.

In wrestling, Punjab’s Madho Singh finished fifth.

In the 1964 Olympics, India regained its Olympic gold with nine players from Punjab in the ranks, defeating Pakistan in the finals.

In the 1968 Olympics, India settled for bronze, again with nine players from Punjab in the 18-member squad. It was the first time Indian team failed to reach the finals and had to settle for bronze.

“Hockey has become a part of the culture of Punjab, and that’s made it more popular across the state. Even today, when cricket has taken over all sports, hockey has a special place in the hearts of Punjabis,” said Col. Balbir Singh.   

In the 1972 Olympics, eight players from Punjab made it to the squad, and India won bronze.

After missing a podium finish in 1976, the Indian men’s hockey team won gold in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Punjab had four players in the gold-medal-winning squad.

After Moscow, there was a dry run in hockey for four decades that ended at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics when the Indian team, led by Punjab’s Manpreet Singh, won bronze.

Continued...

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