India at the 1920 Summer Olympics

India at the 1920 Summer Olympics
Flag of India
IOC code	IND
NOC	Indian Olympic Association
Website	www.olympic.ind.in
in Antwerp
Competitors	5 in 2 sports
Flag bearer	Purma Bannerjee
Medals	Gold Silver Bronze Total 0 0 0 0
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
1900 1904–1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

India sent its first Olympic team to the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, some twenty years after a single athlete (Norman Pritchard) competed for India in 1900 (see India at the 1900 Summer Olympics).

Background, Team Selection, and Logistics

In his opening remarks during a 1919 sports meet at the Deccan Gymkhana, Poona, the Gymkhana President Sir Dorab Tata expressed a desire for India to take part in the forthcoming 1920 Olympics. He requested Governor of Bombay Lloyd George, who presided over and distributed prizes at this sports meet, to secure representation for India at the Olympics through the British Olympic Committee. As a result, in February 1920, the International Olympic Committee granted India affiliation to participate in the Olympic Games. Thereafter, a committee comprising Dorab Tata, A S Bhagwat, Dr. A H A Fyzee, Prof Modak, S Bhoot, and three other Deccan Gymkhana members met in March 1920 to discuss India’s Olympic participation, and they decided to hold a trial meet in Poona in April 1920.

At this trial meet, the committee selected the following team to represent India at the Olympics: P.C. Bannerjee (Bengal) for sprints; M.C. Chowgle (Hubli) for the marathon; A. Dattar (Satara) for the 10,000m and marathon; K. Kaikadi (Belgaum) for the 5,000m and 10,000m; M. Shinde (Kohlapur) for bantamweight wrestling; and G. Nawale (Bombay) for lightweight wrestling. Sohrab Bhoot was manager and Dr. A H A Fyzee was medical officer and adviser for the team.^[1]

Funding for the Olympic team came from Dorab Tata (Rs.6,000 + Rs.2,000); the Government of India (Rs. 6,000); and donations from sportsminded residents of Bombay (Rs.7,000).

The team left Bombay on June 5 aboard the SS Mantua; it trained in London for six weeks at Stamford Bridge stadium, under English coach H. Parry; and proceeded to Antwerp. Chowgle (Chaugule) in the marathon and Shinde in wrestling put up a fairly good performance at the Games.

After the Games, Bhoot submitted a report mentioning that India could have future Olympic success in hockey and wrestling and made recommendations concerning technical, organisational, and training issues for future Olympic teams. Further, the committee sending the team met again, and, on the advice of Dorab Tata, invited Dr. Noehren (Physical Director of YMCA India) to be secretary, along with AS Bhagwat, of the provisional Indian Olympic Committee; Dorab Tata would serve as its president. This provisional committee sent an Indian team to the 1924 Olympics, and became the Indian Olympic Association in 1927.

Indian Olympic delegation 1920: (top row, l-to-r:) Shindes, Bannerjee, Navale, Chaugule; (middle:) Bhoot, Fyzee; (seated:) Datar, Kaikadi

Athletics

Ranks given are within the heat.

Wrestling

Two wrestlers competed for India in 1920. It was the nation's debut appearance in the sport. Navale was defeated in his first match, but Shinde won in the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals before losing twice to finish in fourth.

Freestyle

Wrestler	Event	Round of 32	Round of 16	Quarterfinals	Semifinals	Finals / Bronze match	Rank
Kumar Navale	Middleweight	Bye	Johnson (USA) (L)	Did not advance			9
Randhir Shindes	Featherweight	N/A	Bye	Inman (GBR) (W)	Gerson (USA) (L)	Bernard (GBR) (L)	4

Opponent nation Wins Losses Percent Great Britain 1 1 .500 United States 0 2 .000 Total 1 3 .250

Round Wins Losses Percent Round of 32 0 0 – Round of 16 0 1 .000 Quarterfinals 1 0 1.000 Semifinals 0 1 .000 Final 0 0 – Bronze match 0 1 .000 Total 1 3 .250

References

• India at the 1920 Olympics, also showing picture of India's six participants
• Belgium Olympic Committee (1957). Olympic Games Antwerp 1920: Official Report (in French). 
• Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Archived from the original on February 16, 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2007. 
• Fyzee Brothers Hassan-Ali (also listed as Dr. Ali Azhar Fyzee and A H A Fyzee) and Athar Ali played for India in the Davis Cup and at Wimbledon.