While participation at The Games has been hailed in itself as assuring an athlete a place in the sporting pantheon, there are some nations that have Raised The Bar with their dominance of certain sporting disciplines over the years.
Four Players of the Indian Hockey Team, including legend Dhyan Chand (bottom right), that won the Olympic gold medal in Berlin 1936, peering out of a train window at Liverpool Street Station, London.
Ever since Pierre de Couber-tin laid the foundations of establishing international understanding through the medium of sports in 1896, the quadrennial spectacle of the Olympics has been the ultimate peak of participation and achievement for every sports person on earth. Regardless of gender, race, colour or nationality, the Olympics have seen, over the years, men and women of exceptional skills and strength go past the known limits of human excellence.
While participation at The Games has been hailed in itself as assuring an athlete a place in the sporting pantheon, there are some nations that have raised the bar with their dominance of certain sporting disciplines over the years. These are the countries that come to mind every time a particular sport is mentioned; these are the performances dreams are made of. For an extravaganza that can overwhelm the best in the business, the consistent success of certain nations remains the holy grail.
Field hockey: (India) With eight gold medals, India at the Olympics was, and remains, synonymous with hockey. Despite a lack of achievement on the biggest stage since 1980 in Moscow — when it won its last title — Indian hockey remains the gold standard to measure success for most teams.
The legends and anecdotes associated with the team’s dominance are aplenty and the names that have graced the team sheets — Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh, Balbir Singh Dosanjh, Mohd. Shahid — have retained their awe over the years. The romance of the sport in India is such that, despite not being officially decreed so, it is considered the de-facto national game of the country.
Denne historien er fra July 30, 2016-utgaven av Sportstar.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 30, 2016-utgaven av Sportstar.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?
The making of a batting behemoth
If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.
A question of recognition
After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.
Thinking straight, thinking right!
“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.
The league of the masses
With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.
