{"id":11172,"date":"2022-04-08T17:43:31","date_gmt":"2022-04-08T12:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesportsschool.com\/?p=11172"},"modified":"2023-05-23T14:34:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-23T14:34:39","slug":"the-evolution-of-hockey-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesportsschool.com\/the-evolution-of-hockey-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"From Britisher\u2019s Pastime to the De facto National Sport of India \u2013 The Evolution of Hockey in India"},"content":{"rendered":"
India has long been a consistent Hockey powerhouse from generation to generation, the promised land where young players could go to become world-class players and win trophies domestically and on the world stage and Olympics. With 8 Olympic gold medals belonging to the Men in blue. But the fact that seven of them won during its golden eras \u2013 1920s to 1960s \u2013 is nevertheless a surprise.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The first sport that comes to the mind of every Indian today is arguably cricket. Most probably, all of us have heard stories of how India managed to lift the dramatic 1983 Cricket World Cup, where Kapil Dev became the second captain in the history of the game to win the most precious trophy. Whereas, England, the country which gave birth to the game of cricket, took more than 35 years to clinch their first-ever title. However, if we look back at the early 20th century it was in Hockey that India gained more respect than cricket and left the Britishers far behind in the sport. Let\u2019s have a look at how India evolved over the years in field Hockey!<\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hockey is one of the sports that evolved from prehistoric man’s pleasure of stick and ball games. It is a game played on a field by two teams using curved sticks and a small hardball. It originated in Asia, and authorities attribute its invention to Persia around 2000 BC. The origins of hockey can be traced back to 5000 years ago in Egypt. Hockey as we know it today (modern hockey) originated in England. Irish hurling was the true ancestor of hockey. In 1861, the first hockey club was formed in Black-heath. England and Ireland played the first international match in 1895. Hockey was first included in the modern Olympic Games in the year 1908.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hockey arrived in India via British regiments and soon became one of the most established sports in the country. Hockey was Britisher\u2019s favourite pastime after cricket. The first hockey club in India was established in Calcutta in 1885-86, and Bombay and Punjab soon followed suit. The Indian hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal without conceding a single goal in its Olympic debut at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. The magician of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand was the defining feature of this resilient dominance. From 1928 to 1956, the ruthless Indian Hockey team won six consecutive Olympic gold medals while winning 25 games on the trot. During this golden phase, India managed to score 178 goals while conceding just seven.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\nHistory and Origin<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Birth of Hockey in India<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
The Glory Years<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n