K. ARUMUGAM

Exactly 57 years ago on this day, the Indian sports fraternity woke up to a great victory captured in newspaper headlines.

India’s hockey team, enduring defeat and disappointment of losing the 1960 Olympic final and thereby the gold medal held since 1928 as well as finishing with the silver at the 1962 Asian Games, was in a tearing hurry to get back to Numero Uno.

The team embarked on a long and arduous journey towards resurrection. Any victory was eagerly awaited. And good news arrived on 8^th October, 1963. It came in the form that India was adjudged the best team in Lyon, France, where a major tournament was held outside the Olympics. It was called the 12-Nation Lyon Cup.

The tag of ‘Best Team’ came from journalists covering the tournament in an era when the media had a say in making such a choice irrespective of medal hues around teams.

When journalists had a say in deciding who is best irrespective medals’ hue

Two things stand out here. First, the 12-Nations Lyon Invitation Cup was the first ever floodlit tournament in the history of the field hockey. It also was the biggest hockey event held in France.

Secondly, reigning Olympic and Asian Games champions Pakistan were in the fray along with India, their bitter rivals, adding to the spice of the event.

India won six matches and drew one – against West Germany (1-1). With 13 points in the kitty, India topped the overall standings to win the title. West Germany finished second (11 points) to pick up the silver while Holland took the bronze at third (10 points) followed by Pakistan in fourth.

It was rumoured that the pools were drawn in a manner to prevent India and Pakistan clashing.

India’s triumph was all the more commendable and heartening given that livewire forward Harbinder Singh was injured earlier on (a victim of rough play) and the responsibility for scoring was left to the trio of Udham Singh, Bandu Patil and VJ Peter.

The team: Charanjit Singh (Captain), RA Christy, Shankar Laxman, Gurbux Singh, Natarajan, Dharam Singh, Deshmuh, Sawant, Gurmit Singh, Mohinder Lal, Balbir Singh Jr., VJ Peter, Harbinder Singh, Udham Singh, Darshan Singh, Joginder Singh, Bandu Patil and Ali Sayeed.

Coach: Dhyan Chand

Manager: IM Mahajan

Cover photo: India playing Canada in the Lyons Cup.

Photos: K. Arumugam