The approach of the Olympic Games has resulted in several books being published about the history and evolution of the world’s greatest sports event. One of the informative books on the subject is titled “How India won its Olympic medals” written by the accomplished sports commentator and sports analyst Vijayan Bala.
Over a course of more than 100 years, India’s participation in the summer Olympic Games has been a story of fluctuating fortunes. There were many who succeeded but an equal number who failed. This book examines the background of the sports heroes who carried the country to sublime heights. The interviews with leading players and the narration of their experiences make the tense drama of those moments come alive.
There is the story of Norman Pritchard whose name is known only to the most ardent followers of sports. Norman was born to British parents in Kolkata (then Calcutta) in 1875 and he represented India at the Olympic Games of 1900 in Paris. He won two silver medals in the 200 m and the 200 m hurdles. Thereby he chalked up India’s name on the medal table and this fact has been confirmed by the IOC on its website. The book tells us that he later became an actor and performed in 26 plays and 27 films.
India’s first hockey captain
There is also a chapter on India’s first hockey captain Jaipal Singh Munda who was not just an excellent hockey player but also a politician and writer. He hailed from a tribal family but his skills and multifaceted talents took him to great heights. He was outstanding at academics and obtained a degree in Economics from Oxford University.
The interview with Balbir Singh Dosanjh popularly known as Balbir Singh senior is an absorbing narrative of the trials and tribulations faced by this doughty Sardar on his way to the top of world hockey. His record of scoring five goals in an Olympic Games final in 1952 still stands unbroken.
An interesting incident
In the interview Balbir relates an engrossing incident. During the 1956 Olympics, he broke his hand in the first match. So it was decided that he would play only in the semi final and the final because of his reputation. The aim was to compel the rival teams to assign defenders to mark him and thus leave room for the other forwards to work their magic. The ploy worked and India won the gold medal yet again.
Other players who have been interviewed include hockey icons like Gurbux Singh, Harbinder Singh, V. Baskaran, Mohammed Shahid, tennis star Leander Paes, weightlifter Karnam Malleswari, shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Abhinav Bindra and many more. Their stories and feats can captivate the minds of sports lovers even today.
First Indian woman to win wrestling medal
There is an interesting interview with woman wrestler Sakshi Malik, winner of the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics. Her grandfather Chaudhary Badlu Ram was a renowned wrestler and it was he who inspired Sakshi to take up wrestling. Shakshi became the first Indian woman wrestler to win a medal at the Olympic Games. Her comments about how to develop women’s wrestling and encourage girls to take up sport are worth noting.
The author’s wide ranging experience as a commentator for AIR and Doordarshan and his close involvement with sports for many years have provided him a keen perspective of the technical aspects of different games. He has written for various newspapers and magazines and has also brought out five other books on sport.
The fact that considerable research and hard work has gone into this book is evident from the full team lists along with scores and scorer’s names as well as the important statistics that have been compiled in its pages. Published by the Delhi based Prakhar Goonj Publication company, the book is available on Amazon.
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