To claim that Indian hockey has a storied past is not at all exaggerated. The British Raj introduced Indians to the sport, but it wasn’t until the men’s national team started garnering media attention in the late 1920s that it gained widespread popularity. By competing in the Olympics in 1928, the Indian hockey team established itself on the international stage. However, it began to lose its reputation in and around 2004, when the abrupt exclusion of champion players, the hiring of a foreign coach, and a string of losses made it a sad year in Indian hockey history. However, in the last ten years or so, hockey in India has reclaimed its position and has occasionally been victorious in international competitions. The Olympic success of the men’s and women’s national teams in Tokyo in 2021 has actually made it a historic year.
National sports emphasize the importance of sports to citizens and the promotion of physical exercise. When a nation has hockey as its national sport, it affects how its people view and engage in the sport.
Hockey, which the Indian Hockey Federation approved in 1925, is one of the oldest games. India won 18 of the 21 games it played against New Zealand on its maiden international hockey tour. These triumphs improved the Indian hockey team and sparked an interest in the sport among Indians. Hockey was extremely well-liked from 1928 to 1956. In what was seen as a golden age, India won six straight gold medals at the Olympic Games. Hockey was considered as India’s national sport as a result.
Some of the greatest field hockey players in the history of the sport have come from India, including the illustrious Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh Senior, and Dhanraj Pillai. There are other others just like them, and India has to advertise this sport to attract more hockey players.
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As was said above, due to all of the team’s accomplishments, hockey is informally regarded as India’s national sport.
In addition, the Indian Kabaddi squad has been dominating the sport internationally, capturing seven gold medals across all World Cup competitions and Asian Games competitions to far. Cricket is currently a very popular game. India may have received numerous awards in each of these three sports, but it has yet to host an official match. In order to promote the sport and educate the youth about the value of sports and hockey in India, the ministry of sports must adopt some particular measures.
Kolkata: The origin of Indian Hockey
When the first hockey club was established in Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1855, hockey was first played in India. In fact, Bengal Hockey was the country of India’s first hockey organization when it was founded in 1908.
Below are the engaging facts about Indian hockey, take a look how Indian Hockey gained its popularity
1. Although the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was established in Gwalior in 1925, the nation didn’t compete internationally until it joined the International Hockey Federation in 1928. (FIH). In actuality, India was the organization’s first non-European member.
2. The Indian hockey team entered Australia/New Zealand (1926), Europe (1928), and Japan/USA as the first Indian sports team ever (1932).
3. In 1932, the Indian hockey team became the first sports team in the nation to travel abroad. They performed in prominent Asian cities including Colombo, Malaya, and Tokyo, as well as American cities like Los Angeles, Omaha, and Philadelphia, as well as European towns like Prague, Budapest, Berlin, and Amsterdam. The entire nation was reveling in their glory by the time the hockey team arrived home.
4. Every year since 1944, the IHF has organized the National Hockey Championship.
5. The All-India Women’s Hockey Federation was founded in 1947, the year we gained freedom. Since then, it has been the duty of both the men’s and women’s teams to uphold the nation’s honor. They even win historic championships at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the 2016 Asia Champions Trophy, and the 2017 Asia Cup. In fact, considering it was their first appearance, the Indian women’s hockey team exceeded expectations at the Olympics in Tokyo this year.
6. In India, the term “field hockey” is used to describe both the men’s and women’s national field hockey teams.
7. Dhanraj Pillay played 4 World Cups and scored around 170 goals in his 15-year hockey career. A legend in the game in all senses.
8. India competed in the Hockey World Cup for the first time in 1971 in Barcelona and finished third.
9. India won the 1975 Hockey world cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
10. India will host the significant FIH competition for the fourth time during the 2023 men’s hockey World Cup. India has hosted the tournament the most times of any nation: three times in the past, in 1982 in Mumbai, 2010 in Delhi, and 2018 in Odisha.
11. The 2023 World Cup will also mark the 50th anniversary of the men’s competition since its establishment in 1971.
12. India is jointly hosting the World Cup in two cities – Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in Odisha. This is the first time since its formation.
