India

Olympic Gold Medal Stolen from Former Hockey Captain’s Bengaluru Home

By Arun Dev

Former India hockey captain M M Somaya has written to Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar after burglars allegedly stole his 1980 Moscow Olympic gold medal and three other international sporting medals from his Bengaluru residence on October 28. The stolen items include a silver medal from the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, a bronze medal from the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul and a bronze medal from the 1982 Champions Trophy in Amsterdam. In addition to the medals, the burglars took gold jewellery, silverware and ₹30,000 in cash, with the total value of the stolen property estimated at ₹3.53 lakh. The theft was discovered at about 7:15 am when a neighbour noticed the front door open and alerted Somaya. CCTV footage from a neighbouring house showed two unidentified men forcing entry; one wore a blue shirt and the other a red shirt. Somaya, 67, described the Olympic medal as an irreplaceable symbol of years of dedication and a blow to the history of Indian sport, noting that it is India’s last Olympic gold medal in men’s hockey. Indiranagar police have registered a case under Sections 331(4) and 305 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and two special teams have been formed to identify the suspects and recover the stolen property. Somaya, a three‑time Olympian and Arjuna Award recipient, played for India at the 1980, 1984 and 1988 Olympics, captaining the team in 1988. He received the Arjuna Award in 1985 for his contribution to Indian hockey.