ANI
17 Sep 2021, 14:48 GMT+10
New Delhi [India], September 17 (ANI): Former India men's hockey team captain MM Somaya was a mainstay in the triumphant Indian side of the 1980s.
Making his Olympic debut in the 1980 Moscow Olympics; where India clinched its 8th Olympic gold medal, Somaya went on to play a vital role in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, and finally lead the national team as captain in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Appearing as a guest on Hockey Te Charcha; a podcast series initiated by Hockey India, Somaya spoke fondly about the tight-knit group of players in the Indian team during his era."Many of us in the Olympic gold medal-winning team of 1980 also went on to play together in the team four years later in the Los Angeles Olympics. There were special players like Zafar Iqbal, Charanjit Kumar and Ravinder Pal Singh. All of us played two Olympics together, but further, Merwyn Fernandes, Mohammed Shahid and I played together in three (Olympic Games), from 1980 all the way to 1988. We formed a special bond in the core group of the team in those years and shared a lot of memories together. We would look forward to not only the national team's training camp and matches, but also spending time off the field together, as they were really fun times," said MM Somaya on Hockey Te Charcha.He went on to speak in further detail about teammate Mohammed Shahid, who was widely recognised as the best player in the world in his generation. He said, "Mohammed Shahid started his career just one or two years before mine, and we both retired at the same time in 1988. So, we had a long journey together, and there was a good bonding and level of trust between us. His prime was from 1980 to about 1987, during which time he was arguably the world's greatest player. He faced some setbacks in his personal life after that and took some time off hockey, but he worked very hard and fought his way back into the team eventually for the 1988 Olympics."Speaking about the developments in Indian hockey since his playing days, he said, "Hockey India has done some amazing work for Indian hockey in the last decade by streamlining administration efficiently. They have also made sure that players nowadays not only receive the best training but the best exposure as well. The coaching programme by Hockey India is another facet where they have done well. I am happy that they are working towards enabling Indian coaches with their coaching programme, which has got recognition from the FIH as well. Moving forward, I think we must focus on preparing a fixed template for coaching at the grassroots and the club level." (ANI)Get a daily dose of Russia Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Russia Herald.
More InformationREDMOND, Washington: Artificial intelligence is transforming Microsoft's bottom line. The company saved over US$500 million last year...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
Russia targeted Ukrainian cities with another barrage of overnight drone and missile attacks, killing at least two people and wounding...
Balochistan [Pakistan], July 12 (ANI): The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) has claimed responsibility for a sweeping wave of armed...
Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar says his country has enough problems and cant take in foreigners straight out of American prisons Nigeria...
(250712) -- TEWO, July 12, 2025 (Xinhua) -- An aerial drone photo taken on July 11, 2025 shows the scenery of Zhagana Village in Tewo...
Berlin [Germany], July 12 (ANI): Chairman of Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz (JSMM), Shafi Burfat, has issued a statement denouncing the...
(250712) -- BAGHDAD, July 12, 2025 (Xinhua) -- People have fun on the bank of the Tigris River in Baghdad, Iraq at sunset time on July...