New Delhi [India], October 11 (ANI): The sport of hockey has always been very special for the Indian sporting fraternity.

Captain of the Indian men's hockey team, Harmanpreet Singh, is considered one of the modern legends of the game. He derives his inspiration from the yesteryears, most notably from the tales of the 1948 London Olympics, where India defeated Great Britain 4-0 in the final, to clinch a historic Gold Medal, a year after the country won Independence. This was the first time ever that the Indian flag was hoisted at the Olympics.

Looking back at Independent India's first Hockey Gold Medal at the Olympic Games, Harmanpreet Singh said as quoted by the Hockey India press release, '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 crucial cog in the wheel of the Indian team during the 1948 London Olympics.

Recalling those special moments, Harmanpreet said, 'Meeting the legendary Balbir Singh Sr. 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 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 and then the Netherlands, before winning the Gold Medal in some style by seeing off Great Britain. For Harmanpreet and co, the next Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028 present another chance to add to the tally of medals for the country.

'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,' the skipper said.

'Hockey and India have 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 concluded.

Hockey India, in the days to come, will share more such nostalgic stories from the icons of yesteryear, with the intention of reliving the historic contributions made by the legends of the sport that put India on the world sporting map over the past 100 years. (ANI)