Britain never played India as long as they were our colonisers. The Olympic hockey final, played on Sep. 12, 1948 at Wembley, was the first meeting between the two.

Britain was full of confidence coming into the game for they had shut out Pakistan 2-0 in the semi-final.

A slight drizzle had made the ground slippery and wet for the final. Kishan Lal and K. D. Singh Babu took off their shoes and played barefoot.

Balbir Singh Sr. scored twice, Tarlochan Singh converted a penalty corner, and Pat Jansen scored a field goal to end the British hopes 4-0. The crowd cheered independent India's first gold medal.