Hockey
1. The 1975 world cup
The men’s field hockey world championship was held for the third time in 1975. India finished third in the inaugural edition in 1971, and two years later, in 1973, they improved slightly by reaching the finals before losing to the Netherlands.
They defeated Malaysia in the semi-finals and Pakistan in the finals. The success was extra special because the team was put together with the help of a State government.
2. Olympic games 1980
In 1980, India sent a relatively youthful team to the Moscow Olympics, but the team demonstrated its talent by winning the gold medal after a lengthy absence. Due to the boycott spearheaded by the United States, six of the strongest hockey teams, including New Zealand, Australia, and Pakistan, as well as West Germany and Holland, withdrew from the Olympics. The Indians triumphed against the Spanish challenge in the final, winning 4-3.
3. Asian games 2014
The Indians were motivated to do well this year since those who won the Asian Games in 2014 were automatically qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
India won gold in the Asian Games men’s hockey category for the first time in 16 years, earning an automatic berth in the 2016 Summer Olympics hockey tournament.
4. Tokyo Olympics 2020
For the first time in 41 years, India’s men’s hockey team won an Olympic medal. India won bronze by defeating Germany 5-4. It was a dream come true to understand that the Indian hockey team won bronze. It was a well-deserved win.
Cricket
1. India’s Test series victory over the West Indies in 1971.
It happened at a time when winning on foreign soil was seen as a significant achievement. It was Team India’s first series win over the West Indies, who were the best team in the 1970s and 1980s. The Indian team’s triumph over the world’s best team instilled in them the belief that they could compete with anyone on the planet.
Sunil Gavaskar, a legendary Indian batsman, made his Test debut against the West Indies in 1971, scoring 774 runs in the four-match series. India won the series 1-0, making it a historic triumph for the country. The Indian cricket team went on to accomplish their away series in England, demonstrating that they were capable of doing so.
2. India’s World Cup victory in 1983.
One of the most important events in the history of Indian cricket. The Indian cricket team was not considered one of the top ODI teams in the world at the time, but that changed after the 1983 World Cup.
Kapil Dev led the Indian team to victory over the two-time champions and was regarded as the best team in the world, West Indies, in the final at Lord’s. In 1983, India astonished the world by overcoming the hat-trick-winning West Indies to win the World Cup.
3. In 2002, India defeated England in the Natwest Trophy.
At the time, Sourav Ganguly was the captain of the Indian cricket team. India’s team got more combative and focused.
In the last encounter against the England cricket team, India was expected to chase down a seemingly unattainable mark of 326 runs for a win. Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh took command of the situation and led the team on a thrilling chase. The image of Sourav Ganguly removing his shirt and waving it in the Lord’s dressing room balcony is still fresh in everyone’s mind.
4. In 2011, India won the 50-over World Cup.
There were a number of distinguished events during the 2011 FIFA World Cup. It was Sachin Tendulkar’s final World Cup, and it was held on Indian soil, with Team India favored to win.
Sachin Tendulkar delivered a classic Tendulkar performance, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh won hearts with their World Cup heroics, and MS Dhoni’s outstanding captaincy, and, of course, his winning sixer, supported India attain the World Cup for the first time in 28 years.
