Fifty years ago | “India played badly and lost” — Ramaswami
In a 1976 retrospective, Indian Hockey Federation President M.A.M. Ramaswami addressed India's poor performance at the Montreal Olympics. He attributed the loss to a lack of teamwork and the rising competitiveness of international teams rather than the introduction of artificial turf.
Why it matters
This historical account provides insight into the challenges faced by Indian sports administration during a period of declining international dominance in field hockey.
Madras, August 12: “Giving excuses is bad sportsmanship. We played badly and we lost. Let us try to rectify the mistake and prepare well for the future” declared Mr. M.A. M. Ramaswami, President, Indian Hockey Federation, on his arrival here yesterday after witnessing the Olympic Games at Montreal.
Mr. Ramaswami said there were several reasons for the poor show. One main reason was the lack of team work. In most of the matches the players were individualistic and hockey being essentially a team game this approach did not pay results. Added to this was poor finish. If India had made good use of the chances that it had against Australia in the play-off match the tie would not have gone into extra-time. Even in the matches to decide the minor placings, India’s finish was woefully poor.
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