India's Hockey Decline: A Post-1980 Olympic Struggle

India's hockey dominance, once a source of national pride, waned significantly after the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Despite a brief resurgence with the gold medal victory, the decline continued unabated, leaving the men's team struggling to even qualify for the tournament.

The 1984 Los Angeles Olympics marked the beginning of a barren run for the hockey team, which lasted over four decades. However, women's athletics witnessed some notable achievements. PT Usha narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in the 400m by a mere hundredth of a second. Shiny Abraham became the first Indian woman to reach the semi-finals of an Olympic event in the 800m.

At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, India's medal hopes were dashed once again. The men's hockey team failed to progress beyond the group stage, finishing seventh. The 1992 Barcelona Games also proved fruitless, with the hockey team suffering another group stage exit.

Finally, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, India's medal drought came to an end. Leander Paes became the first Indian tennis player to win an Olympic medal, claiming bronze in the men's singles. His victory marked the first individual Olympic medal for India in 44 years and the first medal since the hockey team's gold in 1980.

Despite the resurgence in tennis, India's overall Olympic performance remained lackluster. The country won only one medal in the 20th century after 1980, highlighting the decline in its sporting prowess.

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