1972 Olympics: Of blood and carnage
It’s 45 years since the Munich Massacre; Ananya Das writes on the attack and how it changed history of Olympics in 1972.
Adolf Hitler's dreaded reign of terror had ended and after almost 25 years of peace and quiet, Germany was ready to prove to the world that the terrors of yesteryears were done and dusted with. In 1966, Germany launched a bid to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in Rome, Italy to host the Olympics' game for the second time and the bid was duly accepted.
What was to be the international event of peace, joy, and togetherness, it turned out to be the exact opposite -- as a terrorist attack by the Black September terrorist group marred the Games with blood and gore as the lives of 12 people were forever lost. Even before the Games had started, 1972's Olympics was already dubbed as a stressful one for reasons obvious to all. This was, after all, the first time Germany would host an international event after the death of Adolf Hitler and the pressure was mounting on top of the German officials.