Sprinting

The Olympics trace their origins back to ancient Greece, where the Games were named after the Greek settlement of Olympia, their venue. The first recorded Olympics took place in 776 B.C., continuing until they were suspended in 394 A.D. by Roman Emperor Theodosius. After a hiatus of over 1500 years, the Games were revived in 1896 due to the efforts of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French nobleman.

Currently, the Olympics are held every four years, rotating among major world cities. However, they were canceled three times—in 1916, 1940, and 1944—due to the two World Wars. The XXI Olympic Games are scheduled to be held in Montreal, Canada, from July 17 to August 1, 1976, with India participating in several events. Historically, India’s main interest has been in hockey, where it dominated for 32 years, winning six consecutive Olympic gold medals starting in 1928.

The primary goal of the Olympic Games is to promote international goodwill by fostering friendly competition among countries. India values international understanding in sports and participates in the Olympics to uphold the ideal that friendly participation is more important than winning. To celebrate India’s participation in the 1976 Olympic Games, the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department is issuing a series of four postage stamps on July 17, 1976.