New Delhi, Oct 11 : The sport of hockey has always held a special place for the Indian sporting fraternity.

The captain of the Indian Men's Hockey Team, Harmanpreet Singh, is considered to be one of the modern legends of the game. He draws inspiration from the past, particularly from the 1948 London Olympics, where India secured a historic 4-0 victory over Great Britain in the final, claiming a gold medal just a year after gaining independence.

This was the first time that the Indian flag was hoisted at the Olympics.

Reflecting on independent India's first Olympic gold medal in hockey, Harmanpreet Singh said, 'When India won the Gold Medal at the 1948 London Olympics, it was a massive moment for the country, especially because we defeated Great Britain, on their turf. We have only heard stories from our seniors about that historic day, and personally, it is a very inspiring moment for me as a member of the Indian hockey fraternity.'

Harmanpreet Singh, who has been part of the Indian Men's Hockey Team that won consecutive Bronze Medals at the Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics, has previously interacted with the legendary Balbir Singh Sr, a vital member of the Indian team during the 1948 London Olympics. Recalling those special moments, Harmanpreet said, 'Meeting the legendary Balbir Singh Sr Sir was indeed extremely special, and to hear from him about the London Olympics was even more wonderful. The first-hand experience for the players is something unique. To listen to stories of the British crowd cheering for the Indian Men's Hockey Team in London, at that time, gave me goosebumps. It is unimaginable as to how happy and good the players must have felt during the tournament.'

At the 1948 London Olympics, India defeated Austria, Argentina, and Spain in the group stages, then the Netherlands, before winning the Gold Medal in style by seeing off Great Britain. For Harmanpreet and co, the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 presents another chance to add to the country's medal tally. The skipper said, 'We have made the podium twice and seen the flag go up at the Olympic Games, but our dream is to go one better. The Indian Men's Hockey Team is very eager to listen to the National Anthem at the Olympic Games, just like Kishan Lal and Balbir Singh Sr's team did in London. And for that we will leave no stone unturned in our preparations.'

'Hockey and India has a lot of history, and we want to be the team to add the ninth Gold medal. It would indeed be very special for us. And I am sure that with the blessings of our seniors, we will do well on the pitch,' Harmanpreet Singh signed off.

Hockey India will bring more such nostalgic stories from the icons of yesteryear in the following days, with the intent to relive the historic contributions of the sport's legends that have put India on the world sporting map over the past 100 years.

/IANS