Paris Olympics: Once An Indomitable Force Vying For The Throne! India Have Deep Footprints in Hockey

Team India's Men's Hockey team will begin its Paris Olympics 2024 journey today. India will enter into the competition at the back of a bronze medal in Tokyo 2020 and will look to make their prospects better in Paris 2024. The road to glory will be incept against longtime rivals New Zealand, and it would be intriguing to witness whether India will be able to repeat the glory of Tokyo in Paris.

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India Still Invincible In Hockey

While the excitement before the attainment is at large, one statistic about Indian hockey is making waves, only depicting the dominance that India have had in the sport. The number is regarding the goals scored by participating nations in hockey from the beginning of the Sumer Olympics in 1908 to Tokyo 2020. Not much to the surprise, India are leading the tally with the most goals. For the record, India have amassed a total of 452 goals in Hockey at the Olympics and is miles ahead of the second-played Australia, who have till now managed 332 goals in the sport at the marquee event.

Indian hockey has a storied and celebrated history in the Olympics. The sport was introduced at the 1908 London Games, and India first competed in 1928.

Key Highlights:

• Early Dominance: India’s hockey team was highly dominant in the early years. The team won three consecutive gold medals at the 1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles, and 1936 Berlin Olympics, largely thanks to the exceptional skills of players like Dhyan Chand

• Post-Independence Success: After India gained independence in 1947, the hockey team continued its success, winning gold at the 1948 London Games and again in 1952 Helsinki.

• Decline and Revival: The 1960 Rome Olympics saw India secure a gold medal once more. However, the team’s dominance declined in subsequent decades. The 1980 Moscow Olympics marked the last time India won a gold medal in hockey.

• Recent Performances: India’s performance in recent years has seen some improvement. At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, the Indian men’s team finished 8th, and the women’s team made a notable semi-final appearance. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics saw the men’s team finish 4th and the women’s team secure a historic 4th place, both showing signs of resurgence.

Indian hockey continues to be a significant part of the country's sports culture, with ongoing efforts to return to its former glory.