BENGALURU: Last Wednesday, when hockey legend MM Somaya returned from his morning walk in Apangela, near his hometown Madikeri, his wife Shami greeted him with news of a burglary at their Bengaluru residence.




His first thoughts were about his most prized possessions - medals won for the country, including his gold medal from 1980 Moscow Olympics . He rushed back to find his worst fears confirmed. His house in HAL 3rd Stage had been broken into between 2.30am and 4am on Oct 28, and valuables worth over Rs 3 lakh, including four international medals, were stolen.




"I'm obviously very hurt because the medals are an irreplaceable symbol of years of dedication, sacrifice and service to the country," an anguished Somaya told TOI.




The two burglars, wearing helmets, also stole Rs 30,000 in cash and gold and silver articles. They entered after breaking open the main door and were captured on neighbours' CCTV cameras.




"Apart from the Olympic gold, two Asian Games medals - a silver from the 1982 Games in New Delhi and a bronze from the 1986 Games in Seoul - and a Champions Trophy bronze from 1982 were stolen," Somaya (67) added.




Neighbours alerted the couple around 7.30am, and they immediately left for Bengaluru. Police registered an FIR the same day and said they were confident of solving the case, citing strong clues.




"We have collected much CCTV footage from the area and have some vital clues on the miscreants. They had watched the house for some hours and, after ensuring it was locked, broke in. However, we will crack the case," an investigating officer said.




Somaya, a former India captain, moved to the city from Mumbai in 2025 after retiring from Bharat Petroleum.