A book commemorating India’s first-ever Olympic gold by hockey historian K. Arumugam was released here today by Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha.
Titled India’s First Olympic Gold, the book traces the Indian hockey team’s journey in 1928 from selection issues, financial struggles and internal tussles within the hockey fraternity at that time to the final triumph against the host on May 26 in Amsterdam. Filled with rare pictures, newspaper snippets from back then and historical data, the book also talks about how the game gave a then-colonised India an identity separate from its British rulers and its first-ever international sporting hero, Dhyan Chand.
“My role as president of the IOA allows me to appreciate how profoundly that early triumph shaped India’s broader sporting identity…. the work preserves a defining chapter of our hockey heritage, ensuring that future generations understand the foundations on which India’s sporting pride was built,” Usha said on Tuesday.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, present on the occasion, hoped more such work would be done to preserve India’s hockey history and encourage future generations.
Published – May 26, 2026 08:07 pm IST
