From Hosting the Inaugural Asian Games, to PT Usha's Gold Rush in Seoul - India's Proudest Moments
Ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, we at News18Sports picked five of India’s most influential and impact worthy moments from its various Asian Games campaigns across the years.
File: 1958 Asian Games: India's Milkha Singh (right) and Pakistan's Abdul Khaliq with a photo finish for the 200m final (image: Getty)
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In 1951, India was the inaugural host of the prestigious Asian Games – a competition where over the years, the nation has had its moments of glory and disappointments. India has never finished at the top of the medals tally, and it is unlikely 2018 will change the trend. Such is the story of Indian sport at multi-event meets at the global and continental stage that generations have woken up only to be inspired. Rare as those moments might be, the effect on the common man’s aspirations and the joy are unmatched.
Ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, we at News18Sports picked five of India’s most influential and impact worthy moments from its various Asian Games campaigns across the years.
5) 1982 Asian Games: The Games that Changed New Delhi
The 1982 Asian Games gave India a host of athletes to cheer about. But it also gave its host city, New Delhi, a new lease a life in some sense. The 60,000 seater Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium became a distinct part of the city’s skyline for years to come, and also where more than 3000 athletes from 33 countries took part in the opening ceremony march past that was telecast on Doordarshan that switched to coloured broadcast specifically for the Games. Venues like the Siri Fort Complex and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges came up at the same time. Preparation for the Games though began only in 1979 thanks to the Emergency. But Delhi did not disappoint as flyovers, new roads, new buses made moving around simpler and the city wore an international look unlike ever before. While the men’s hockey team was humiliated by Pakistan, in 18 year old PT Usha who bagged silver in the 100m and 200m, India had a new star.
4) 1951 Asian Games: India Win Football Gold after Historic Win Against Iran Marking The Start Of The Golden Era
A year before the first ever Asian Games took place in New Delhi, India chose to forego their chance to play a first senior men’s FIFA World Cup in 1950 in Brazil. The Sailen Manna-led team had their moment a year later though when they beat Asian powerhouse Iran (1-0) in the final in the presence of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The football tournament was a six team affair with games lasting 60 minutes. India, who had lost to France (1-2) in the 1948 Olympics in London, had to play Indonesia in the quarter-final. The semi-final saw them beat Afghanistan before Iran were seen off by Sahu Mewalal, who postponed attending a family emergency at the request of the PM.
This kick started India’s Golden Era in football – a feat none of the Indian teams could match up to and can only dream of achieving in the present day and age.
After 1951, India finished fourth at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics after losing to Bulgaria 3-0 in the Bronze Medal play-off before winning their second Asian Games Gold in 1962. Two years later they finished runners-up at the Asian Cup as they lost out to Israel by two points.
3) 1998 Asian Games: India Win Men’s Hockey Gold After Dismal World Cup Showing
The year 1998 did not begin well for the Indian men’s hockey team, as they finished ninth at the World Cup in Netherlands. A far cry from the glory days of the 1980s.
Six months later in Bangkok, an inspired Indian team led by the one and only Dhanraj Pillay came from behind to beat South Korea in a shootout (5-3) to clinch Gold. The wait was over.
The talismanic skipper scored 11 goals in six games, as India netted 24 in all, making it the second best individual performance in Indian colours after Prithipal Singh (10 out of 22 goals) at the 1964 Olympics.
Pillay, known for his electric pace and unmatched stick work, led an unlikely resurgence of the sport. Unfortunately, internal discord meant this legacy would not last long. India has won the hockey gold only once since then, in Incheon in 2014.
2) 1958 Asian Games: Milkha Singh Bags Gold by a Whisker
India’s success in track and field events on the global stage have been far and few. But the first is always special, and for India, it came courtesy Milkha Singh at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo.
The Indian had already won the 400m with an Asian record, while Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq was the 100m champion. The 200m final would decide which who Asia’s fastest man was.
At the halfway mark, Singh and Khaliq were neck-to-neck. The Indian was on the inside lane, with Khaliq two lanes away. It was clearly going to be a fight to the finish. As Singh tumbled over to the finish line with a muscle pull in his right leg, Khaliq breasted the tape too. 30 minutes of scrutinising pictures from all angles later, the judges declared Milkha Singh as Asia’s best.
Nobody could’ve predicted a finish like this, definitely not Abdul Khaliq, who before the race had said, “I have met and run races with many a Tom, Dick and Harry like him. They are no match for me.”
Singh was given a hero’s welcome in Patiala on his return.
1) 1986 Asian Games: PT Usha’s Phenomenal Gold Rush
After Milkha Singh walked away from the track, it was time for Kerala’s PT Usha to take up mantle. Two silvers at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi for the teenage sensation was followed up by a fourth place finish at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she missed out on being India’s first athlete to win an Olympic medal by quite literally the smallest fraction of a second – losing Bronze by 1/100th of a second.
Usha though would get her shot at glory two years later, and boy did she set the tracks of Korea ablaze at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul – five individual medals gave her the record for the best finish at any international meet.
The Payyoli Express as she was famously known, shattered the records in the 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay and in the process won a staggering four Gold medals. In the 100m sprint though, she came in behind Lydia de Vega and had to settle for Silver – the difference was again minimal but enough.
Her five medals meant she not only became Indian sports’ latest superstar, but also raised the bench mark for success. By the time the Seoul Games concluded, she had cemented her place amongst the pantheon of greats.
A heel injury derailed her hopes of an Olympic medal in 1988 at her most favourite venue, but she would go onto to add another couple of silvers before calling time on a shining career during which she certainly proved to be a game changer for women in sports.
Ahead of the 2018 Asian Games, we at News18Sports picked five of India’s most influential and impact worthy moments from its various Asian Games campaigns across the years.
5) 1982 Asian Games: The Games that Changed New Delhi
The 1982 Asian Games gave India a host of athletes to cheer about. But it also gave its host city, New Delhi, a new lease a life in some sense. The 60,000 seater Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium became a distinct part of the city’s skyline for years to come, and also where more than 3000 athletes from 33 countries took part in the opening ceremony march past that was telecast on Doordarshan that switched to coloured broadcast specifically for the Games. Venues like the Siri Fort Complex and Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges came up at the same time. Preparation for the Games though began only in 1979 thanks to the Emergency. But Delhi did not disappoint as flyovers, new roads, new buses made moving around simpler and the city wore an international look unlike ever before. While the men’s hockey team was humiliated by Pakistan, in 18 year old PT Usha who bagged silver in the 100m and 200m, India had a new star.
4) 1951 Asian Games: India Win Football Gold after Historic Win Against Iran Marking The Start Of The Golden Era
A year before the first ever Asian Games took place in New Delhi, India chose to forego their chance to play a first senior men’s FIFA World Cup in 1950 in Brazil. The Sailen Manna-led team had their moment a year later though when they beat Asian powerhouse Iran (1-0) in the final in the presence of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
The football tournament was a six team affair with games lasting 60 minutes. India, who had lost to France (1-2) in the 1948 Olympics in London, had to play Indonesia in the quarter-final. The semi-final saw them beat Afghanistan before Iran were seen off by Sahu Mewalal, who postponed attending a family emergency at the request of the PM.
This kick started India’s Golden Era in football – a feat none of the Indian teams could match up to and can only dream of achieving in the present day and age.
After 1951, India finished fourth at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics after losing to Bulgaria 3-0 in the Bronze Medal play-off before winning their second Asian Games Gold in 1962. Two years later they finished runners-up at the Asian Cup as they lost out to Israel by two points.
3) 1998 Asian Games: India Win Men’s Hockey Gold After Dismal World Cup Showing
The year 1998 did not begin well for the Indian men’s hockey team, as they finished ninth at the World Cup in Netherlands. A far cry from the glory days of the 1980s.
Six months later in Bangkok, an inspired Indian team led by the one and only Dhanraj Pillay came from behind to beat South Korea in a shootout (5-3) to clinch Gold. The wait was over.
The talismanic skipper scored 11 goals in six games, as India netted 24 in all, making it the second best individual performance in Indian colours after Prithipal Singh (10 out of 22 goals) at the 1964 Olympics.
Pillay, known for his electric pace and unmatched stick work, led an unlikely resurgence of the sport. Unfortunately, internal discord meant this legacy would not last long. India has won the hockey gold only once since then, in Incheon in 2014.
2) 1958 Asian Games: Milkha Singh Bags Gold by a Whisker
India’s success in track and field events on the global stage have been far and few. But the first is always special, and for India, it came courtesy Milkha Singh at the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo.
The Indian had already won the 400m with an Asian record, while Pakistan’s Abdul Khaliq was the 100m champion. The 200m final would decide which who Asia’s fastest man was.
At the halfway mark, Singh and Khaliq were neck-to-neck. The Indian was on the inside lane, with Khaliq two lanes away. It was clearly going to be a fight to the finish. As Singh tumbled over to the finish line with a muscle pull in his right leg, Khaliq breasted the tape too. 30 minutes of scrutinising pictures from all angles later, the judges declared Milkha Singh as Asia’s best.
Nobody could’ve predicted a finish like this, definitely not Abdul Khaliq, who before the race had said, “I have met and run races with many a Tom, Dick and Harry like him. They are no match for me.”
Singh was given a hero’s welcome in Patiala on his return.
1) 1986 Asian Games: PT Usha’s Phenomenal Gold Rush
After Milkha Singh walked away from the track, it was time for Kerala’s PT Usha to take up mantle. Two silvers at the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi for the teenage sensation was followed up by a fourth place finish at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, where she missed out on being India’s first athlete to win an Olympic medal by quite literally the smallest fraction of a second – losing Bronze by 1/100th of a second.
Usha though would get her shot at glory two years later, and boy did she set the tracks of Korea ablaze at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul – five individual medals gave her the record for the best finish at any international meet.
The Payyoli Express as she was famously known, shattered the records in the 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay and in the process won a staggering four Gold medals. In the 100m sprint though, she came in behind Lydia de Vega and had to settle for Silver – the difference was again minimal but enough.
Her five medals meant she not only became Indian sports’ latest superstar, but also raised the bench mark for success. By the time the Seoul Games concluded, she had cemented her place amongst the pantheon of greats.
A heel injury derailed her hopes of an Olympic medal in 1988 at her most favourite venue, but she would go onto to add another couple of silvers before calling time on a shining career during which she certainly proved to be a game changer for women in sports.