History of Indian Hockey can be traced back to the British Raj, when it was first introduced by the army regiments of the British. It is a typical English game, which has its foundations in the earliest civilisations of the world. It is said to have been present nearly 1200 years prior to the Ancient Games of Olympia. This game has been played by Ethiopians, Romans, Persians, Greeks and Arabs. While many players played the game for the purpose of entertainment, numerable people believed that playing a game of Hockey would enable them to emerge as stronger warriors.
Initiation of Hockey in India
Hockey was initiated in India from the late 19th century, in the British Isles. This game gained widespread popularity within the country, during the British Raj, which was when the London Hockey Association was formed. This organisation then formulated the rules which would have to be followed while playing this game. During 1924, the International Hockey Federation or FIH was created, which was followed by the International Federation of Women`s Hockey which came into existence after three years.
Legacy of Indian Hockey
Indian Hockey Federation came into existence in the year 1925 and Indian Hockey took its first international trip to New Zealand in the same year. In that international match they played 21 matches; won 18, lost 1 and drew 2 among them. This trip is a milestone for showcasing the skill of the legendary player Dhyan Chand.
Indian Hockey in International Field
Outstanding performances of Indian Hockey in the Olympic Games were the focal point of national pride. Indian Hockey team"s first participation was in the year 1928, where they won Olympic Gold Medal for the country. Between 1928 and 1956, the Indian Hockey Team won six consecutive Olympic Gold Medals, won 24 consecutive matches scoring 178 goals while conceding only 7 in their half. Members of the Olympic team were Richard Allen, Dhyan Chand, Michael Gately, William Goodsir- Cullen, Leslie Hammond, Feroze Khan, Santosh Manglani, George Marthins, Rex Norris, Broome Pinninger, Michael Rocque, Frederick Seaman, Shaukat Ali, Jaipal Singh and Kher Singh Gill. This phase of Indian Hockey is considered as the golden era of this game. Indian Hockey"s winning phase ended in the year 1960 in Rome Olympics. The team then lost 0-1 to the Pakistan Hockey team in the finals.
Indian Hockey team again won gold medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and in 1980 Moscow Olympics including several bronze medal wins. After 1980, Indian Hockey team"s performance in the Olympic Games began to deteriorate which resulted in having no medals.
Indian Men"s Hockey team won the Hockey World Cup in 1975, which took place in Kualalampur, Malaysia. Indian Women"s Hockey team won Gold medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games that was held in Manchester, England.