page_title: India national football team at the Olympics
section_title: The match
hierarchical_section_title: India national football team at the Olympics / History / 1948 Olympics: first participation / The match
caption_attribution_description: English: Talimeren Ao on the left, leading the Indian team to Cricklefield Stadium to play against France, on 31st July 1948. 8 players out of 11 played barefoot but 3 players including Taj Mohammed (on the right in the pic) wore boots though the weather was dry.
context_page_description: Football was first introduced as an Olympic sports at the Summer Olympic Games held in France in 1900. It was played by only three club teams from three nations as an exhibition sport and played again at the 1904 Games. National sides played for the first time at the 1908 Summer Olympics. India did not send a football side to the Olympics until the 1948 Games; it participated in the next three Games. An Indian team last participated in the 1960 Games. India's best appearance was at the 1956 Summer Olympics where its team reached the semi-finals. Beginning with the 1992 Summer Olympics, the rules were changed so that only under-23 national teams are allowed to compete in the Games. India's U-23 national team has yet to qualify for the Olympic football competition.
context_section_description: On 31 July 1948, the first eleven men in independent India's footballing history walked to the middle of Cricklefield Stadium in front of 17,000 spectators wearing   thick socks cut off at the ankles and bare feet strapped up to protect them and to provide grip. Taj Mohammad, Dhanraj, Papen wore boots. For the first 29 minutes neither team dominated proceedings, then in the 30th minute René Courbin gave France a 1–0 lead. Just before half-time, Swedish referee Gunnar Dahlner awarded India a penalty kick; Sailen Manna missed it as the ball flew over the crossbar. In the second half Ahmad Khan created an opening, he combined with substitute B.N. Vajravelu, beat the French defense, and passed the ball to Sarangapani Raman who scored the equaliser in the 70th minute. His name was recorded as independent India's first international goal scorer. Ten minutes after Raman's equaliser, India had a chance to take the lead through another penalty. This time Mahabir Prasad's shot at the goal was saved by the French goalkeeper Guy Rouxel. With one minute to go before the final whistle René Persillon scored to give France a 2–1 victory and a place in the quarterfinals.
caption: T Ao on the left, leading the Indian team to Cricklefield Stadium to play against France.
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