India and hockey are bonded together since eternity. The Indian men’s hockey team is one of the most successful teams as they have won 12 medals at the Olympics including 7 gold medals. Also, the most successful sports representation of India in the Olympics is field hockey. This year in the Tokyo Olympics 2020, the team managed to win a bronze for the country. Winning a match requires efforts from the entire team. A small contribution from every nooks and corner makes the winning process easier and smoother. Also, good direction and captaincy by the captain helps the squad to remain enthusiastic, focused, and perform well throughout the game. Let’s take a look at every Indian hockey captain who represented the Indian hockey team to victory.
Firstly, the Indian hockey team experienced heaven on earth from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Secondly, the team won 6 gold medals consecutively at all the 6 Olympic Games. The first Indian hockey captain to represent the team and win a medal was Jaipal Singh Munda in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
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List of every Indian Hockey Captain to win Olympic Medal
| No. | Name of the Captain | Olympics | Rank |
| 1 | Jaipal Singh Munda | 1928 Amsterdam Olympics | Gold |
| 2 | Lal Shah Bokhari | 1932 Los Angeles Olympics | Gold |
| 3 | Dhyan Chand | 1936 Berlin Olympics | Gold |
| 4 | Kishan Lal | 1948 London Olympics | Gold |
| 5 | K. D. Singh | 1952 Helsinki Olympics | Gold |
| 6 | Balbir Singh Senior | 1956 Melbourne Olympics | Gold |
| 7 | Leslie Claudius | 1960 Rome Olympics | Silver |
| 8 | Charanjit Singh | 1964 Tokyo Olympics | Gold |
| 9 | Gurbux Singh and Prithipal Singh | 1968 Mexico City Olympics | Bronze |
| 10 | Harmik Singh | 1972 Munich Olympics | Bronze |
| 11 | Vasudevan Baskaran | 1980 Moscow Olympics | Gold |
| 12 | Manpreet Singh | 2020 Tokyo Olympics | Bronze |
1. Jaipal Singh Munda
Jaipal Singh Munda is the first Indian hockey captain to clinch the first gold medal for the nation in the Olympics. He led the team in the 1928 Summer Olympics hosted in Amsterdam and brought the gold in the home for the first time.
2. Lal Shah Bokhari
India won the gold medal for the second time in field hockey under the captaincy of Lal Singh Bokhari in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. The former Indian captain was also a part of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1928.
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3. Dhyan Chand
One of the strongest pillars of the Indian men’s hockey team is none other than Dhyan Chand. His contribution to the establishment and popularity of hockey in India is exceptional. He led the team in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won the gold. He is regarded as one of the greatest hockey players in hockey history and no wonder why he is also considered the magician in the sport. Also, he was a pivotal member of the Indian team in the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympics.
4. Kishan Lal
It was a very special moment for all the Indians when the Indian hockey team won the gold for the first time as an independent nation in the 1948 London Olympics. Kishan Lal was the captain of the team that won in the 1948 London Olympics.
5. Kunwar Digvijay Singh
The captain to represent the Indian hockey team in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics Kunwar Digvijay Singh. The former Captain is one of the best players in field hockey and was lovingly called Babu by everyone. He was also sometimes compared with the wizard of hockey, Dhyan Chand, because of his passing tricks.
6. Balbir Singh Senior
Balbir Singh Senior is regarded as the Dhyan Chand of the modern-day because of his contribution and sacrifice for the sport. The captain of the team in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics was an important part of the 1948 London Olympics, 1952 Helsinki Olympics, and obviously 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The legendary former hockey player also made the record by scoring the most number of goals by an individual in the Olympics men’s hockey final.
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7. Leslie Claudius
Under the captaincy of Leslie Claudius, India won the first silver medal in Olympics. He was the captain of the team in the 1960 Rome Olympics. The former captain is one of the only two Indian field hockey players who won four Olympic medals. He was also a part of the Indian team in the 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960 Olympics.
8. Charanjit Singh
In the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Charanjit Singh was the captain of the team that won the gold medal for the seventh time. He belongs from Himachal Pradesh and therefore made Himachal very proud by his performances and contribution.
9. Gurbux Singh and Prithipal Singh
The first bronze medal in field hockey was won by India in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Under the joint captaincy of Gurbax Singh and Prithipal Singh, India created history and won the first-ever bronze medal in field hockey.
10. Harmik Singh
India clinched the bronze medal for the second time in the 1972 Munich Olympics under the captaincy of Harmik Singh. He was also a part of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
11. Vasudevan Baskaran
The 1980 Moscow Olympics was the last time when the Indian hockey team won the Gold medal in the Olympics. Vasudevan Baskaran was the captain of the team in the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
12. Manpreet Singh
The present captain of the Indian men’s hockey team is Manpreet Singh. He represented the team in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and won the bronze medal for the country. Moreover, India won a bronze in the Olympics for the third time. India won the bronze medal by defeating Germany 5-4. Indeed, it was a hard-fought win. In conclusion, Indians are very proud of the entire Indian hockey contingent.
