5 Indian Olympic triumphs that deserve to be preserved on celluloid

2) Indian hockey's loss at the Rome Olympics and their redemption in Tokyo

India's loss at Rome 1960 and the historic rise at Tokyo Olympics in 1964

With eight gold medals - the most for any team till date - field hockey has been India's most successful sport at the Olympics. However, none of those gold medals were as remarkable as the one the nation earned at Tokyo in 1964.

India's journey to their seventh gold in hockey is the stuff memorable sports dramas are made of. It had everything from negative publicity and daunting odds to a lack of unity and a dramatic comeback. When the team was preparing for the event, the nation was facing a severe crisis.

It all began with a loss. At the Rome Olympics, India were all set to win their seventh successive gold medal. They once again faced arch rivals Pakistan, who they had routed 1-0 in a clean sweep at Melbourne in 1956.

However, a chance missed by army man Shankar Lakshman changed it all. That one goal proved costly as India lost the finals 0-1, settling for a silver medal at the Rome Olympics. Apart from Milkha Singh's loss, this was one tragedy that hurt Indian fans the most.

Four years later, that miss, coupled with the country's loss in the Indo-China war of 1962, had demoralized the nation considerably. To add to their woes, the media published dozens of negative articles about Indian hockey, doubting whether the team could even cross the league stage.

However, the men bound for the Tokyo Olympics had other plans, and they were quite a mix of personalities. There was Shankar Lakshman himself, who had retribution on his mind. Then there was Udham Singh Kular, a veteran who would be playing his final Olympics, and Captain Haripal Kaushik, a soldier who was as brilliant on the hockey field as he was on the battlefield.

India had a wobbly start, with two draws from two matches. However, they improved quickly enough, and within weeks, made it to the semifinals. They shocked Australia by winning 3-1, and once again faced Pakistan for a third consecutive time in the final.

The final was less of a sporting affair and more akin to a war, with hockey sticks substituting for weapons and Komazawa Hockey Field's turf serving as the battlefield. Sticks and abuse were used to a great extent, and with hot-headed penalty corner specialist Prithipal Singh on the field, things were bound to be aggressive.

However, celebrations began when a shot from Prithipal was obstructed by the defender and a penalty stroke was awarded. Goalkeeper Abdul Hamid was confident it wouldn't get past him, but armyman Mohinder Lal was no pushover. He shot a devious scoop and gave India not only the winning goal but also its seventh Olympic gold medal.