Former India Hockey Captain MM Somaya Loses 1980 Olympic Gold Medal in Bengaluru Home Burglary
In addition to the gold medal MM Somaya took at the Moscow Olympics as a representative of the Indian team, three other international sporting medals were also stolen.
Ex-India hockey captain M M Somaya wrote to Karnataka chief minister D K Shivakumar requesting his intervention in the matter as burglars allegedly took away his 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal and other valuables from his Bengaluru home last month.
His home in New Thippasandra was also reported to be burglarized around 2:34 am on October 28, and the three international sporting medals he won – a silver one at the Asian Games in New Delhi in 1982, a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Seoul in 1986 and another in Amsterdam at the 1982 Champions Trophy – were stolen.
“An Olympic gold has been much more than a personal sporting achievement – it is an honour won for the country on the world's greatest sporting stage”, the 67-year-old wrote to the chief minister, urging that all efforts be made to retrieve the medal.
What else did they take?
The burglars also stole gold jewellery and silver wares and ₹30,000 cash, the complaint said. The total amount of the stolen property is estimated to be ₹3.53 lakh.
The other missing items are a 10 gram gold bangle, an eight gram gold coin, two silver cups weighing 144 grams and six silver spoons and an 80 gram silver pot.
It was found about 7:15 am on Oct. 28 when a neighbour noticed that the front door was open and notified Somaya. Camera footage from a nearby home revealed two people, who were never identified, breaking into the home. The police complaint states that one of the suspects was wearing a blue shirt and another red shirt.
“A touchstone of many years of service. “It is not just about the loss of a medal, it's about the history of Indian sports,” Somaya added, outlining the meaning of the Olympic medal.
Indiranagar police have filed a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. Two special teams have been set up to identify the suspects and recover the loot, deputy commissioner of police (east division) Vikram Amte said.
A three-time Olympian and Arjuna Award recipient
MM Somaya was one of the prominent players in the Indian hockey team in the 80s. He had his first taste of the Olympic Games in Moscow, 1980, when India won its 8th Olympic gold in men's hockey. As a right half, he then played for his country at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1988 Seoul Olympics, captaining the team at the latter.
He was also a member of the international team that played in two World Cups, two Asian Games, two Asia Cups, and three Champions Trophy tournaments. In 1985, he was awarded the Arjuna Award for his services to Indian hockey.
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