| India at the 1928 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
 Flag of India | |
| IOC code | IND |
| NOC | Indian Olympic Association |
| in Amsterdam | |
| Competitors | 21 in 2 sports |
| Medals Ranked 24th |
|
| Summer Olympics appearances | |
India competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was the country's fourth participation in the Summer Olympics its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics. The Indian team consisted of 21 athletes and competed in two sports. India competed in the men's field hockey event for the first time in the history of the Games, and won the gold medal. It was the country's first gold medal, and the began a streak in the sport that continued through the 1956 Games.
Background[edit | edit source]
In 1927, the provisional Indian Olympic Committee was recognized by the International Olympic Committee and formally became the Indian Olympic Association.[1] The organization was formed to promote the development of sports in India, host the national games, and select teams for the Olympics.[2]
India competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam, Netherland.[3] It was the country's fourth participation in the Summer Olympics after its debut in the 1900 Summer Olympics.[4] The Indian team consisted of 21 athletes, who competed in two sports.[5] The Indian Hockey Federation, which had been established earlier in 1925, sent the men's field hockey team to the 1928 Games for the first time.[6]
Medalists[edit | edit source]
The hockey team won India's first gold medal in the Olympics at the Games.[6] This was the first gold medal won by any nation from Asia at the modern Olympic Games.[7] It began a winning streak in the sport that continued through the 1956 Games.[8]
| Medal | Name | Sport | Event | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Gold |
India men's national field hockey team |
Field hockey | May 26 | |
Competitors[edit | edit source]
There were 21 athletes who took part in two sports.[5]
| Sport | Men | Women | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athletics | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Field hockey | 14 | 0 | 14 |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 21 |
Athletics[edit | edit source]
Seven athletes represented India in athletics at the Games.[5]
- Men
- Track Events
| Athlete | Event | Heats | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Final | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | Result | Rank | ||
| Ronald Burns | 100 m | Unknown | 6 | Did not advance | |||||
| 200 m | Unknown | 4 | |||||||
| James Hall | 200 m | Unknown | 4 | ||||||
| 400 m | Unknown | 2 Q | Unknown | 5 | Did not advance | ||||
| J. Murphy | 800 m | N/A | Unknown | 7 | |||||
| Gurbachan Singh | 5000 m | N/A | Did not finish | Did not advance | |||||
| Chavan Singh | 10000 m | N/A | Did not finish | ||||||
| S. Abdul Hamid | 110 m hurdles | Unknown | 4 | N/A | Did not advance | ||||
| 400 m hurdles | Unknown | 6 | |||||||
Note: Ranks given are within the heat or particular round.
- Field Events
| Athlete | Event | Qualification | Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Distance | Position | Distance | Position | ||
| Dalip Singh | Long Jump | 6.45 | 37 | Did not advance | |
Field hockey[edit | edit source]
The Fédération Internationale de Hockey was established in 1926, and field hockey returned to the Olympic Programme for the 1928 Games after missing from the previous Games.[9] This was the first appearance of the Indian hockey team at the Olympic Games.[6] The Indian team, which was established only in 1926, did an international tour before the Games. During the tour, Great Britain and the constituent teams refused to play the Indian team. However, India beat Hockey Association XI consisting of multiple English internationals, and an Anglo-Scottish XI during the tour. Great Britain, who were the defending Olympic champions from the 1920 Games, withdrew their entry to the Games, probably because of the possibility of losing to India, which was still a British dependency at that time.[9]
The Indian team won all the four matches in the preliminary round, scoring 26 goals and not conceding a single goal. In the other group, Netherlands topped the table, after a 2-1 win over Germany.[9] The hockey team won the country's only medal, a gold, after beating Netherlands in the finals at the Olympisch Stadion.[6]
- Roster
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics
- Gold Medal Match
Field hockey at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Swimming[edit | edit source]
Dwarka Das Mulji qualified for three swimming events. He would have become the first Indian Olympic swimmer, however, he did not start the events.[5][10]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "India – National Olympic Committee (NOC)". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ↑ "History of National Games: India's homespun Olympics!". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ↑ "1928 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "India at the Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "India at the 1928 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "How Indian hockey cast a spell to win the 1928 Olympics gold". Olympics.com. 3 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- ↑ "Indian hockey won the first Olympic gold medal at hockey in 1928 Amsterdam". Olympics.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2021.
- ↑ "1928 Olympics: India's first step towards ascending hockey throne". The Hindu. 7 July 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2017. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Field hockey, 1928 Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
- ↑ "Dwarka Das Mulji". Olympedia. Retrieved 1 June 2025.