OTHER SPORTS Updated: Aug 13, 2018 11:44 IST

Hindustan Times takes a look at seventy-two moments of sporting glory in our Independence Day special. Here is the first of a three part series.

India's centre forward Balbir Singh (2R) tries to score a goal during the men's Olympic Games Hockey match against Great Britain, at Wembley Stadium, London, Aug. 12, 1948. Britain's goalkeeper D.L.S. Brodie saved the attempt and India won the match 4-0. (AP)

It has been more than seven decades since India broke the shackles of colonialism. Even as a fledgling nation took its first steps towards growth and development after its independence from British rule on August 15, 1947, sports became an instrument of instant global recognition. The relentless pursuit of glory on a sporting field gave birth to new aspirations and also provided a vent for patriotic fervour. There have been several milestones achieved in multiple sporting disciplines over these years by Indians. We, at Hindustan Times, will take a look at seventy-two such moments of glory in our Independence Day special. Here is the first of a three part series.

1) 1948: Independent India’s first Olympic gold medal

The Indian hockey team had already won three gold medals at the Olympic Games but all of them had come for a team that was still a British colony. The 1948 Olympics in London was India’s chance to win its first medal as an independent nation. The skill and ingenuity of the Indians was at full display as they won all their round-robin matches and then edged out a tough Netherlands team 2-1 in the semi-final to reach the summit clash. Great Britain defeated Pakistan in the other semi-final to ensure a classic showdown. In the final at Wembley, Balbir Singh Dosanjh’s brace set up a 4-0 thumping of the former colonial masters as India’s tryst with destiny on a hockey field had a golden beginning.

2) 1951: India hosts inaugural Asian Games

India hosted its first major sporting event as an independent nation in March 1951. The first ever Asian Games were held in the capital in New Delhi which saw 11 Asian nations participate in as many as 57 events. The idea behind the event was to promote the feeling of unity and friendship between newly independent nations in the continent. India finished second in the medal tally behind Japan. India’s Lavy Pinto won the gold medal in the 100 & 200 metres sprints respectively, while the Sailen Manna led football team also won the yellow metal.

3) 1952: KD Jadhav wins India’s first individual Olympic medal

While hockey had helped India create a niche for itself in global sports, the country was witnessing a surge in other sporting disciplines as well. At the Helsinki Games, Maharashtra’s Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav won the bronze medal in the bantamweight category of freestyle wrestling. Jadhav had competed in the London Games in 1948 but had failed to win a medal. He made amends for that miss four years later and remains one of the pioneers of Indian wrestling.

4) 1952: India wins fifth Olympic gold in hockey

The Indian men’s hockey team was near unbeatable in those days and they maintained their top billing by winning the gold medal for the fifth time. India dispatched Great Britain in the semi-finals before thrashing Netherlands 6-1 in the final.

Members of the victorious Indian team are hugged by spectators after their win against Holland. (Popperfoto/Getty Images)

5) 1952: Gool Nasikwala’s gold medals in Asian Table Tennis

While table-tennis remains a sport dominated by countries like China, Japan, South Korea and other nations from South East Asia, India has had several players over the years, who have left a mark at the international level. One of the first players to do that was Gool Nasikwala, who went on to win multiple medals at the inaugural Asian Table Tennis Championship held in Singapore.

6) 1952: India wins first Test series in cricket

Long before cricket became a religion in India, Lala Amarnath had already etched his name in Indian cricket history by becoming the first ever Test centurion from the country in 1933. But his moment of glory came in late 1952 as he captained India to their first ever Test series win. The victory was sweet as it came against bitter rivals Pakistan. India won the first and third Test matches at Delhi and Bombay respectively to eventually win the series 2-1.

7)1956: Another Olympic, another hockey gold

While other countries were coming up fast in hockey, India had still managed to maintain its vice like grip on the event at the Olympics. In a historic first, India and Pakistan contested the final of field hockey at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Randhir Singh Gentle, who had won golds at the two previous Games, scored the only goal of a tightly contested final.

8) 1956: Indian football comes in touching distance of an Olympic medal

After getting a walk-over from the powerful Hungary side, India defeated hosts Australia in the quarter-finals, courtesy a hat-trick by Neville D’souza. The medal dreams though were quashed after a 1-4 loss to Yugoslavia. This is the closest India has come to winning a medal at the Olympics in football.

9) 1958: Billiards produces India’s first world champion

Wilson Jones, an Anglo-India by birth, became the first ever world champion from India after he won the Amateur Billiards World Championship in the year 1958. He went on to win the title again in 1964. He is the considered the pioneer of cue sports in India.

10) 1958: India’s first wrestling gold in Commonwealth Games

India was making a name for itself in wrestling as several athletes competed and did well in global events. It was at the Cardiff Games in 1958 that Indian wrestling won its first gold medal in a multi-sport event. Lila Ram Sangwan took home the yellow metal in the heavyweight category of freestyle wrestling.