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The origins of the game of hockey may be traced back to the world's earliest civilisations. The game is said to have existed around 1200 years before the Ancient Games of Olympia, making it one of the earliest known games. Everyone from Arabs to Greeks to Romans to Persians to Ethiopians played some kind of game. Even though hockey was played in various forms by many ancient civilisations, the contemporary game of hockey, field hockey, was established in the British Isles in the nineteenth century. In India, the first club was founded in Calcutta in 1885-86, and Bombay and Punjab quickly followed suit. The Indian hockey juggernaut won six consecutive Olympic gold medals and 24 successive matches from 1928 to 1956. Let us deep dive, into understanding more about the history of hockey in India through this article.
The history of hockey in India dates back to the rule of British regiments in India. Calcutta was the first city to organise a hockey club in 1885-86, followed by Bombay and Punjab. In 1908, the Bengal Hockey Association became India's first hockey association. As the game grew popular, organisations sprung up in places like Bombay, Bihar, Orissa, and Delhi.
In the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, India won the gold medal in hockey for the first time. For the fifth time in a row, India has won the Olympic Hockey Championship. The Indian Hockey Federation gained a name and reputation due to India's first Olympic entry in hockey, which ended in triumph. The best Indian hockey players were Dhyan Chand, Allen, Norris, Pinniger, Yusuf Gateley, and Cullen.
Women in India have also taken up hockey. The Asiad 82 has been expanded to include women's hockey. Their level of play is pretty high. A series of coaching camps have aided the athletes in reaching a noteworthy level of performance.
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The Indian Hockey Squad is the country's men's national hockey team. It was the first team from outside of Europe to join the International Hockey Federation. The team earned its first Olympic gold medal in 1928. From 1928 through 1956, the Indian hockey squad was at its peak. In the Olympics, the Indian men's team was undefeated, winning six gold medals in a row. The Indian team has won eight gold, one silver, and two bronze medals in the Olympics.
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The Indian Women's Hockey Squad (nicknamed the Nabhvarna) is the country's national women's hockey team. In international field hockey tournaments, India's national women's team competes. Presently coached by Sjoerd Marinje of the Netherlands and headed by Haryana forward Rani Rampal, the squad is placed 9th in the FIH World Rankings. Suraj Lata Devi, the team's captain, led the team to gold three times in a row: in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the 2003 Afro-Asian Games, and the 2004 Hockey Asia Cup. After winning the 2004 Hockey Asia Cup, they were dubbed the "Jassi (Jasjeet) jaisi koi nahi," or "Golden ladies of hockey."
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Indian hockey's outstanding accomplishments at the Olympic Games were a source of national pride. The Indian hockey team competed in 1928 when they won the country's first Olympic gold medal. The Indian Hockey Team won six Olympic gold medals between 1928 and 1956, winning 24 consecutive matches and scoring 178 goals while surrendering only seven in their half. This period in Indian hockey is regarded as the game's golden age. The winning streak of Indian hockey ended in the 1960 Olympics in Rome. The squad subsequently lost 0-1 in the finals versus the Pakistan Hockey team.
The Indian hockey team earned a gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and many bronze medals in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. The Indian hockey team's performance at the Olympic Games continued to worsen after 1980, resulting in the team's failure to win any medals.
In 1975, the Indian Men's Hockey team won the Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Indian women's hockey team won gold in the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England in 2002.
In 1928, India competed in the Olympics for the first time as British India. Only three officials from the Indian Hockey Federation went to the Bombay port to see them off since no one expected them to arrive, but hundreds of people greeted them when they did. This championship included nine teams, with India placed in Group A with Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, and Austria. Dhyan Chand, a national hero who is still remembered, was the standout of India's campaign, scoring 14 of the country's 29 goals. His hat-trick against finalist Holland holds a particular position in Indian history, as it was the first time the country won an Olympic gold medal.
The journey from India to Los Angeles took 42 days by the water. Only three teams were competing, and India had set a new hockey record by scoring 35 goals against both the United States and Japan. In their first encounter, India defeated Japan 11-1, but the team's most memorable moment occurred when they trounced the host USA 24-1. India won both matches against the United States and Japan, making them the Olympic champions for the second time in a row.
Dhyan Chand led the Indian team to victory in the Olympics. In an eight-team tournament, India was selected in Group A alongside Hungary, the United States, and Japan. India scored 20 goals against their group stage opponents without surrendering a single goal. Then, in the semi-final, India crushed France 10-0, setting up a final match against Germany. India won the final with an 8-1 score over Germany’s hosts. But it was at the Olympics, Hitler saw Dhyan Chand's abilities and gave him German citizenship.
This was the first Olympics following the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympics due to World War II. The Indian Hockey team 1948 was competing as free India and an independent state for the first time. The final was played in front of a massive audience of 25000 people at Wembley Stadium. India defeated Great Britain 4-0 to earn their fourth straight gold medal and the first gold medal for independent India.
This Olympics featured 13 teams competing in a knockout format. India had a bye in the first round and faced Austria in the quarterfinals. The Indian team cruised into the final, where the Netherlands met them. India overcame the Netherlands and won its sixth gold medal in the Olympics in a row. India's Balbir Singh scored 9 of the team's 13 goals, and Captain Digvijay Singh was awarded the titles of 'Best athlete of Asia' and 'Best hockey player in the world.'
Balbir Singh Sr, Leslie Claudius, Randhir Singh Gentle, and Ranganathan Francis were among the Indian hockey contingent for the Olympics, competing in their third Olympics. There were 12 teams, separated into three groups for this competition. India scored 36 goals in their group stage matches, resulting in a Semi-final encounter against Germany, which India won by a narrow 1-0 margin. Then, in the finals, India faced up against Pakistan, its arch-rival. The finals were held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where India won their sixth gold medal in a row by defeating Pakistan 1-0.
Due to the retirement of Balbir Singh Sr from hockey, Leslie Claudius captained the team in his fourth Olympics. In the group rounds, India was pitted against Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, which they easily defeated and advanced to the knockout stages. In the semi-final, India narrowly defeated Great Britain, with a goal from Udham Singh making the difference. Pakistan was India's final opponent again, but this time they had eight of its eleven players who had previously played against India in the 1956 Olympics final. India was shocked to lose 0-1 to Pakistan in the final, ending their gold-medal winning streak.
With memories of losses to Pakistan in the 1960 Olympics and the 1962 Asia Cup, India was motivated to capture a gold medal here. The squad's captain, Charanjit Singh, guided the team to the finals with ease. India faced Pakistan in what was seen as a brutal final, with players from both teams playing so aggressively that officials were forced to intervene. India earned its seventh gold medal by beating Pakistan in the final, owing to Mohinder Lal's penalty conversion, which was the game's lone goal.
Hockey was gaining popularity in both Europe and Asia. In the group stage match, India was defeated by New Zealand, which was India's first loss in the Olympics group stage. When India fell to Australia in the semi-finals, it was the first time India did not make it to the finals in the eighth Olympics. Despite this, India went on to win a bronze medal in the third-place play-off, defeating West Germany 2-1.
This squad consisted of only four participants from the 1968 Olympics. The team's captain was Harmek Singh. This squad also included Vece Paes, Leander Paes' father. India was undefeated in the group stage, which had seven teams. When the Israeli team was assaulted, the game was suspended for two days, and India was due to meet Pakistan in the semi-final. The next day, India lost in the semi-final against Pakistan, and it is thought that the tragedy disrupted India's rhythm. They won bronze after defeating Holland 2-1 in the third-place play-off.
When astroturf was initially utilised as a pitch in field hockey games, the game's playing surface changed. With three wins and two defeats in the group rounds, India and Australia were equal for second place, forcing a play-off match between them to determine the group's second-place team. Australia advanced to the semi-finals after defeating India in the play-off. India was eliminated from medal contention for the first time in 58 years, finishing in seventh place.
Following bronze medal finishes in 1968 and 1972 and the much more stunning 1976 Olympics, India made a great comeback in this Olympics. After nine teams withdrew, the Olympics were reduced to a six-team tournament. With ease, India cruised to the finals, setting up a showdown with Spain in the final. India won their seventh gold medal in the Olympics after defeating Spain 4-3 in the final. Unfortunately, this was India's final Olympic medal in hockey. The Indian women's team competed in their first Olympics and finished fourth.
A total of 12 countries competed in the Olympic tournament. India was grouped with Australia, West Germany, Spain, Malaysia, and the United States in Group A. India only lost to Australia in the group rounds, and the must-win game against West Germany resulted in a tie, knocking India out of the semi-finals. India went on to win two more classification matches, putting them in fifth place overall.
Following disappointing performances in the 1986 World Cup and other events, the Indian squad went to the 1988 Olympics with a slew of issues, including selection, captaincy, and so on. Pargat Singh was appointed captain of the team, which angered the seniors because it was his first Olympics. With India losing 0-1 to Russia and drawing 1-1 with Germany in the next encounter, the off-field issues were abundantly visible. After losing to Pakistan, India was put in the 5-8 classification matches and finished sixth.
It was a 12-team competition at the game. India was grouped with Argentina, Egypt, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Only two of India's matches were won, against Argentina and Egypt. As a result, India was relegated to the 5-8 classification matches, where they finished seventh.
Spain, Germany, Pakistan, Argentina, and the United States were placed with India. Only two matches, against Spain and the United States, were won by India. India competed in the 5-8 classification matches for the fourth consecutive Olympics, where they ended eighth after losing both matches.
India was placed alongside Australia, South Korea, Argentina, Poland, and Spain in Group B. India finished third despite two victories and two draws, relegating them to the 5-8 classification rounds. India lost to Great Britain in a classification match but won against Argentina, putting them in seventh place.
Dhanraj Pillay competed in his fourth Olympics at the age of 35. The Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina were placed with India. India only won one of its five league matches, finishing fourth in the group. In the 5-8 classification match, India defeated Korea and finished in seventh place.
India failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 88 years. Great Britain in the final of the World hockey Olympic qualification event held in Santiago, Chile. From the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics until the 2004 Athens Olympics, India's hockey record of 18 appearances at the Olympics was shattered.
The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, South Korea, New Zealand, and India were all placed in Group B. After failing to win a single game throughout the tournament, India placed bottom in the group. India defeated South Africa 2-3 in the 11-12 classification games, culminating in India's lowest finish at the Olympics.
This Olympics featured a new structure in which the top four teams from each group qualified to compete in the knockout rounds. India was paired with Germany, the Netherlands, Argentina, Ireland, and Canada on the list. Only two of India's matches against Ireland and Argentina were won, and they finished fourth in their group. India's fourth-place finish earned them a quarter-final match against Belgium, which they lost 1-3. India came in eighth place overall in the event.
The Indian women qualified for the Olympics for the second time, the first being in 1980. The Indian women's squad was pitted against the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, Argentina, and Japan. India failed to win a single match and finished bottom in both the group and the tournament.
After leading the Indian men's hockey team to a bronze medal triumph at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, the squad players inscribed their names in history. India had to defeat Germany in a dramatic, exhilarating, and challenging match that went down to the wire. Despite being behind twice throughout the match, India managed to pull off a miraculous comeback 5-4 victory to beat Germany and finish on the podium.
The Indian women's hockey team was denied a medal at the Tokyo Olympics after losing to the Rio Olympics gold champion Great Britain in the bronze medal match. However, coach Sjoerd Marijne's squad may be proud of their fourth-place performance at the Tokyo Olympics, which was their best-ever finish in Olympic history (while India had also finished fourth in 1980, only six teams competed the Moscow Games in a round-robin format).
However, between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the British devised the first form of modern-day field hockey. It was introduced as a popular school game at the time, and during British administration in the 1850s, it was adopted by the Indian army.
In India, the first club was founded in Calcutta in 1885-86, and Bombay and Punjab quickly followed suit. The Indian hockey team made its Olympic debut at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, winning its first Olympic gold medal without conceding a single goal.
The current game of hockey was born in England in the mid-eighteenth century, thanks to the rise of public institutions like Eton. In 1876, the first Hockey Association was created in the United Kingdom, and the first codified set of rules was drafted.
James Creighton is frequently credited with inventing the present version of organised ice hockey as a team sport. He travelled from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Montreal in 1872, bringing skates, hockey sticks, and a game with a simple set of rules.
In the twentieth century, Sutherland was dubbed the "Father of Hockey" for his untiring efforts in managing and marketing the sport. The Kingston, Ontario native was born in 1870, three years after Canada became a nation.
Yes, the national team's early success cemented hockey as the national game of India.
The love for hockey has been reignited in recent years thanks to outstanding achievements by the national team. With the fire raging, the moment has come for the next generation to think seriously about the sport and restore it to its former grandeur.
The fact is that India still holds the most medals, including gold medals in field hockey, which will be one of the primary motivators. Cricket has the upper hand in terms of popularity, but hockey will undoubtedly regain the respect it once had.
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National Sports Day: 29 August, 2022 |History, Importance & Facts29 August is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. This day is celebrated as a tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary.
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