Invented by the British, the game of hockey was included in the Olympic Games for the first in the year 1908. As soon as hockey was included in the Olympics, Indian players weaved their magic and dominated teams all over the world. In the Antwerp Olympics 1928, Indian hockey team made their debut at the games. The legendary Dhyan Chand scored 14 goals, including a hat-trick in the final against the Netherlands. In the five games, India scored 29 goals and won their first gold medal at the Olympics.
After the maiden gold medal, the golden era of Indian hockey began. Over the next two decades, the Indian hockey team looked invincible at the Olympics. They won six gold medals in a row and eight in total. The last gold medal came in the Moscow Olympics in 1980. With the introduction of the AstroTurf, the game changed and it took over four decades for India to win a medal at the Olympics. In Tokyo Olympics 2020, India ended the drought with a bronze medal.
Out of the 35 medals India have won in the Olympic history, 12 belong to the men’s hockey team. Here is a look at the records registered by the Indian team in the category which are yet to be broken –
Indian hockey team has won eight Olympic gold medals so far. This is the highest number of gold medals won by any country in the Olympic Games in men’s hockey. They are followed by Germany with four Olympic gold medals.
Indian hockey team won six consecutive Olympic gold medals from the year 1928 to the year 1956, which is the highest number of gold medals won by any team on the trot in Olympic history.
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In 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, Indian hockey team won 24-1 against America which is the highest number of goals scored by India in a single match in Olympic history.
India's Roop Singh scored 10 goals in a match against America, which is the most goals scored by a player in a single hockey match in Olympic history.
India's Balbir Singh scored five goals in the final of the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, which is the most goals scored by a player in a final.
The Indian hockey team holds the record for conceding the least number of goals or not conceding any goals in an Olympic edition. The Indian hockey team won the gold medal in its first Amsterdam Olympics in 1928 without conceding a single goal. They achieved the feat in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956.
The Indian hockey team is the only team in Olympic history to win two gold medals in two Olympic Games without conceding a single goal.
The Indian hockey team is also the team to score the most goals in a single Olympic game. While winning the gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the Indian hockey team scored the most goals in the entire tournament, 43, which is still a record.
In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, the Indian hockey team defeated Germany 8-1 in the final match, which is the largest margin of win in the final in Olympic history. Hockey magician Dhyanchand scored four goals in this match.
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