The World's Hockey Champions 1936

By Olympic Gold Medallist M. N. Masood

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Binder
Page 4 Page 5 Page 6

The Olympic Torch Relay

Day and night, up hill and down dale, the runners carried the sacred fire northwards. Special ceremonies of veneration were made en route of the Olympic torch relay.

The final runner arrived at the Olympic Stadium on the 1st of August at 4:00 pm during the Opening Ceremony, and ignited the fire which burnt all through the Olympic Games, as a symbol of the Hellenic spirit awakened anew.
Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12

he International Olympic Committee, during its meeting at Athens in 1934, decided to ignite with a flame brought from Olympia the Olympic Fire in Berlin. According to the Olympic protocol, the Olympic Fire must burn throughout the Olympic games.

On 20th July, 1936, at 12 o'clock noon, a special ceremony was held at Olympia and fire was kindled by the rays of the sun by Greek dancing girls in its sacred grove. A priest carried it by means of a torch to the waiting athlete, proclaiming thereby to all mankind that the Olympic spirit was not dead.

The athlete ignited his own torch and started the stupendous relay race of nearly two thousand miles. Each athlete ran one kilometre and more than 3,000 runners participated, each igniting his torch in turn.

Day and night, up hill and down dale, the runners carried the sacred fire northwards. Special ceremonies of veneration were made en route to make the run into an impressive demonstration.

It was so arranged that the final runner arrived at the Olympic Stadium on the 1st of August at 4:00 pm during the Opening Ceremony, and running over the track to the West Gate, ignited the fire which burnt all through the Olympic Games, as a symbol of the Hellenic spirit awakened anew.

Each runner who participated received a diploma from the Organising Committee in recognition of his services, and also the torch holder, an artistically designed pattern, as memento of the run, the first of its kind in Olympic history.

The torch holders were manufactured by Krupp Works, which donated 3,400 holders to the Organising Committee. The Reich Eagle, with the five Olympic rings and the route of the run were engraved on the holders, as also the words, "With thanks to the bearer, The Organising Committee for the XIth Olympiad, Berlin, 1936."

The Symbolic fire passed through Athens, Delphi, Salonika, Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Dresden, on its way to Berlin - a relay run through seven countries.

Divider

Olympic Torch arrives at the Olympic Stadium. Photograph courtesy Getty Images

Divider