Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya's 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal stolen from Bengaluru residence

Former Indian hockey captain MM Somaya has written to Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar after his gold medal from the 1980 Moscow Olympics was among the valuables that were stolen from his Bengaluru home in the early hours of October 28 in the New Thippasandra area. Three other international medals and ₹30,000 cash was among other items stolen when the robbers broke into his house.

The 67-year-old filed a complaint with the police “which read ‘on October 28, 2026, at around 7:15 am, my neighbor noticed that the door of my house was open and informed me that a theft was suspected,'” as reported by The Indian Express. Somaya and his family were not at home and left Bengaluru for Kodagu around 25 October in October.

“A review of CCTV footage from a neighboring home revealed that at approximately 2:34 a.m., two unknown individuals entered my home after breaking down the door and stealing valuables,” the complaint adds. According to Vikram Amathe, Deputy Commissioner of Police (East), according to the report, two special teams have been formed to trace the accused.

“We are examining CCTV footage from the neighborhood to track the suspects and ascertain their movements,” a police officer said on Wednesday. The 1980 Moscow gold was the last yellow metal for Indian men’s hockey at the Olympics. India won Olympic bronze medals in the 2020 and 2024 games.

Somaya said the medals are of immense importance to the country. The medals came after years of dedication, sacrifice and service to the nation. In his letter, Somaya urged the Karnataka CM to give maximum attention to the case and get the medal and other valuables.

What else was stolen?

Apart from the gold from the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the thieves also took away a silver medal at the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games and a bronze medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. Another bronze from the 1982 Amsterdam Champions Trophy was among the items stolen.

Not only his medals, the robbers also took away two gold coins weighing 8 grams, a gold bracelet weighing 10 grams, silver cups weighing 144 grams, six silver spoons weighing 200 grams, a silver vessel weighing 80 grams and ₹30,000 in cash. The total value of the stolen items is estimated at ₹3.53 crore (excluding medals).

Hockey career of MM Somaya

During his career, Somaya played in three Olympics in 1980, 1984 and 1988. He captained the Indian team in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. After finishing third in Group B, India won against Argentina to set up a fifth-place playoff match against arch-rivals Pakistan. India lost 1–2 against Pakistan and finished fifth in the tournament.

In 2007, Somaya was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board. He also received the Arjuna Award in 1985.