Complete Set of 4 nos. of commemorative postage stamp on the 25^th Summer Olympiad Games Barcelona :

Issued by India

Issued on Aug 8, 1992

Description of Designs :
Stamp : Pulak Biswas
First Day Cover : Shankha Samant
Cancellation : Shankha Samant

Type : Stamps, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 100, 600, 800 & 1100 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported Un W/M gravure coated Gummed Stamp Paper

Number Printed : 10,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press

About : 

• The ancient Olympic celebrations staged every four years were started by the Greeks to honour their god Zeus. Through their sporting actions at the Olympiads, man was shown as offering a tribute to the gods. The ancient programmes had boxing with bare fists, wrestling in which violence was paramount, racing over stades (distance of approximately 200 metres) besides the popular chariot races.
• While these Games were based on the concept which was later to be termed as amateurism, the winner of various events at the Olympics were suitably awarded by the royalty. The winner of the chariot race was the most decorated and revered and his prize was 100 vases of olive oil besides other gifts, like food supply, arches or statues in their honour.
• But the ancient Olympics came to an end in 393 AD when Emperor Theodosius banned the Games.
• A French man named Baron Pierre de Coubertin dreamt of reviving the Olympics in their pure form. But it was only in 1892 that he dared to make his idea public. By 1894 he was able to garner up enough support and towards November, Athens was chosen as the first Modern Olympics were declared open by King George I of Greece. The games had 42 events in ten disciplines and there were a total of 285 participants. A new era had dawned.
• Hockey was introduced in the Olympics in 1908 at London and was included in 1912 at Stockholm, with England emerging winners both times. But the discipline was dropped in 1920 and 1924 before being revived in 1928, when India first took part in it and won the gold medal. India were to win the gold at the next five Olympics in 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952 and 1956 before losing to Pakistan in 1960. India won the hockey twice in 1964 and 1980 to make it seven golds overall.
• Boxing had always been a part of the Olympics. They have a history from the ancient Olympics and when Modern Olympics came into being in 1896, they were on the programme. India won a bronze medal in wrestling in 1952 through K D Jadhav. It was the only medal India has won at the Olympics apart from hockey (upto 1992), in which it has won seven gold, one silver (in 1960) and two bronze (in 1968 and 1972).
• Discus throw is a part of the athletics programme and this event has often been portrayed on ancient Greek paintings and carvings.
• Gymnastics is the mother of all sports and is an aesthetic display of the architectural ability of the human form. This has now become an integral and essential sports disciplines in all competitions.
• Olympic Torch which is lit at the temple of Zeus is carried by relay of runners to the main venue to be lit before Commencement of the games. At Barcelona the torch was ignited by a lighted arrow shot by an ace archer.

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