Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film Gold sees him playing the character of Tapan Das. The man who scouts and finds the talent that would ultimately make the team that won independent India her first gold medal at the Olympics. While the film is a fictional story based on true events, it is yet to be seen how much the filmmakers have taken from the real story to make this sports drama.
Independent India’s first gold medal came from a field hockey team where the Indian team defeated Great Britain in the finals. Tapan Das, played by Akshay Kumar, seems roughly inspired by the man who is still regarded as the man who started the Olympic movement in India, Moin-ul-Haq.
Moin-ul-Haq was the chef-de-mission of the Indian Olympic contingent when India participated as a free country for the first time at the Olympics in 1948 in London. Even though the country was in much distress at the time, Moin-ul-Haq saw the potential and the opportunity that sports offered.
Hailing from Patna, Moin-ul-Haq was supportive of all sports. He would scout talent and nurture them, he would even encourage those who never played anything to pick up a sport.
Patna’s Moin-ul-Haq Stadium was renamed after him after he passed away in 1970. He was also honoured by the Government of India with a Padma Shri in 1970.
Moin-ul-Haq was not a player in the Olympics contingent, neither was he a coach, in fact he was the man who gave Indian sports a platform that they could eventually build upon.
