Tiny Kerala in Mega Olympics
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COVER STORY Olympic medal for India outside Olympic Hockey. He won the medal in 57 kg. freestyle wrestling. The other two bronze medals were won by Leander Paes in Tennis in Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and Karnam Malleswari in weight lifting in Sydney Olympics in 2000. In no other individual items India could so far achieve medals. But in 1960 and in 1984 the whole nation was expecting individual medals from two athletes viz. “Flying-Sikh” Milkha Singh and “Payyoli Express” P.T. Usha. In Rome, Milkha Singh returned his career-best time of 45.6 seconds for 400 meters race in the finals, breaking the then existing Olympic record. But stunningly he was restricted to the fourth place in the race in which the American athlete Otis Davis clocked 44.9 seconds to win the gold. Karl Kaufman of Germany won Tiny Kerala in the silver medal and Malcolm Spence of South Africa obtained the bronze medal. When the final result was announced, the whole of Indian nation was sobbing! The mega Olympics 8th August 1984 was also a similar black day for India. On that day P.T. Usha was R. Radhakrishnan championship in Hockey till 1956 running in the finals of the 400m. hurdles hile the world is once again continuously and in 1960 Rome Olympics in Los Angeles. About 100 crores of moving on to the cheers and Pakistan defeated India in the finals and people in India were eagerly waiting for a ecstasy of modern Olympics, won the gold. Again in the next Olympics good news – winning the first medal for W at Tokyo, India could regain its gold India in Olympic athletics. But at the end, the greatest sporting show on earth, it would be appropriate to have a retrospect defeating Pakistan. Thereafter India could Usha lost the bronze medal by one- on the presence of India and Kerala in it. get the gold medal in Hockey event only hundredth of a second! It was an Indian presence in the Olympics scene was in 1980 Moscow Olympics. In the unbearable shock for the country. Apart noted at the beginning of 20th century. subsequent Olympics several other teams from the above, the Indian football team Norman G. Pritchard, an Anglo-Indian is like Australia, Holland, Germany, Korea, obtained the fourth place in the 1956 the India’s first representative in the Spain etc grew into very powerful ones Melbourne Olympics. Olympic Games. He ran the 200 and therefore, the Asian Kerala enters the Olympic m. sprint at Paris in 1900 and nations - India or Pakistan - arena could not retain their went on to win a silver medal in Kerala has an area of 38863 sq. kms. supremacy in the game. Thus the event. In the 1920 Games but a population of more than 300 lakhs! altogether India could collect at Antverp, an unofficial Indian Out of the 202 participants of the ensuing 8 gold, one silver and two team of four athletes and two Olympics at Athens, only less than 35 bronze medals in the Olympic wrestlers participated. nations have a population more than that Hockey tournaments. In no At the Paris Games in 1924, of Kerala. Thus this is a mine of other games India was able to the Indian participation immeasurable human resources! Even Milkha Singh win any medal in the though earnest sports activities were going increased to an 8-men team of Olympics. athletes. From 1928 onwards India has on in all parts of the State from the very been appearing in the list of medal Apart from the event of Hockey, beginning of the last century onwards, the winners. Indian hockey team entered the Indian athletes could so far win only three sportsmen and sports women of the State Olympic competitions at Amsterdam in more bronze medals. In the 1952 Helsinki were able to make a significant impact on 1928 and won the gold medal for the Olympics, Indian wrestler K.D. Jadav won the national sports scene only after the event. India retained the Olympic a bronze medal, which was the first 1950s. In the seventies and eighties a KERALA CALLING z July 2004 5 bunch of talented youngsters, especially Lekshmanan, a hurdler in 110m was a for a decade. He was a member of the women athletes have burst into the sports member of a 8-men athletic team from Tata’s team and the state team of arena of India and soon they proved their India. But he could not succeed even in Maharashtra for a long period. He was also mettle. Many of them won laurels in heats. He was a Major General in the then a member of the Indian football team national, Asian and Commonwealth Sports Indian Army. He hailed from Kannur. which played against many foreign teams competitions. Most of these athletes have In 1948 London Olympics, Indian in the forties and the fifties. come from economically poor strata of football team was a participant. One of Two Malayalees were there in the society, and from rural parts of the State. the members of that team was Thomas Indian Olympic team which participated Kerala sent its first representative to Varghese or otherwise known as in the Olympic games at Helzinki in 1952. Olympic games in 1924, at Paris. C.K. “Thiruvalla Pappan.” He was one of the One was an illustrious football player illustrious stopper backs of Indian team Kottayam Sali and the other was an athlete History of Olympics he magnificent and thrilling pageant Tof Olympic Games is the oldest show on earth. The ancient Olympics began 2780 years ago at Olympia village in Greece. The first recorded Olympics games were held in 776 BC and it remained a feature of Greek culture until it was banned by the Roman Empire Theodosius. But the historians say the games actually began long before 776 BC, probably in 1370 BC. Hence this noble movement has got a long tradition of more than 3300 years. The ensuing 28th modern Olympic Games in Athens, commencing on 13th August 2004, is actually the 320th recorded Olympic Games. From the very inception onwards, the Olympic games have been one of the greatest of inspirations for bringing peoples and between City States were stopped nations together. the ancient Olympics was basically one of temporarily for enabling authorities to amateurism, of peace, friendship and co- The ancient Olympic Games were conduct the Olympic Games in a peaceful operation. But as the time passed on, the held in summer, once in every four years atmosphere. Only pure Greeks were purity of the Olympic Games deteriorated at Olympia in honour of God Zeus. permitted to compete and for centuries and the real Olympic spirit was lost. This four years interval was known as the moral standards were carefully upheld. Gradually, bribery, corruption and Olympiad. The games were the greatest No athlete with a criminal record or having dishonesty crept in. The venues of the festival in the Greek world. All the relation to animals could be a contestant. Games became battle fields instead of competitors from various city States According to the available records, the gathering for peaceful competition to considered the games with all ancient Olympic Games started with the build peoples together. In AD 393, the seriousness. They attached great sanctity Olympic Oath taken by the athletes and Roman Emperor, Theodosius banned the with this festival of unique nature. But the judges before the Statue of Zeus. The Olympic Games because of the the women were not permitted to take athletes swore to observe the rules and deterioration of moral standards attached part in the competitions. They were not the judges swore to be fair and all prayed to it. allowed even to watch the games. for personal success and the success of Modern Olympics begin In those days, the Olympic Games the games. All the winners in Games were The revival of the Olympic Games has were conducted with discipline, purity decorated with a head-dress made up of been made possible by the earnest attempt and in absolute peace. The pages of Olive leaves, symbol of peace and by a French nobleman Baron Pierre de history show that even ongoing wars prosperity. On the whole, the spirit behind 6 July 2004 z KERALA CALLING Ivan Jacob who took part in the 400m race. like Durrand Cup, P.B. Mohammed Sali, alias Kottayam Sali, IFA Shield, as a left-winger was an asset to the Indian Calcutta League team which took part in the Helsinki Championship etc. Olympics. Earlier in 1951 when the Indian Ivan Jacob football team won the gold medal in the competed in the first ASIAD in New Delhi. Sali played a 400 m race in very crucial role in the memorable final, Helsinki Olympic O. Chandrasekhran M. D. Valsamma Mercy Kuttan along with Sailan Manna and Mewalal. He Games. Before the arrival of Milkha Singh Babu and the other was Hockey team was the captain of the East Bengal team, in the national scene, Ivan was holding goalkeeper Manuel Frederiks. As no which collected many covetable trophies the national record for this event. His Indian athlete was familiar with tartan timing of 48.2 second for 400 m. race track, the 19 year old Suresh Babu could remained as a national record for four not perform well in the Olympic arena. years. He was working in Madras city In Hockey also India got only a bronze police. After retirement he settled medal. On the whole, the performance of permanently in Australia. He is the sole the Indian team in Munich Olympics was very poor.