Hockey and India

Hockey is one of the most ancient games of the world. It is supposed to be older than the Olympics as well. This game dates back to almost 4000 years. It is a game played between two teams on a field with curved sticks and a hard ball. The idea is to maneuver the hard ball across the field with the curved sticks and pass through the goal post of the opponent to score a point. It is also said that the birth place of Hockey was Asia, and historians credit Persia for having devised it about 2000 BC.

It is also said that the modern Hockey was a gift of England, and the true ancestor of modern hockey were the Irish hurling, an outdoor game of the ancient Gaelic and Irish origin. The game of hockey became popular in India during the British Regime. The very first hockey club in India was formed in the year 1885-86 in Calcutta, and later on in Bombay and Punjab. It was also in Calcutta that the very first Hockey Association in India was founded in the year 1908. Within a very short span of time hockey earned major popularity throughout India and more association getting founded in different states like Orissa, Bihar and Delhi.

The best days of Indian hockey started with India participating for the very first time in the Olympic Games in the year 1928 held in Amsterdam and winning the title. The winning streak continued from 1928 to 1956. Winning 8 gold medals at the Olympic Games is a testament of how formidable the Indian Hockey Team once was.

By: Madhuchanda Saxena

Content: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/hockey/top-stories/Hockey-is-not-our-national-game-Ministry/articleshow/15322482.cms