Hockey Tournaments in India | Know The Oldest Tournament

Hockey Tournaments in India: In India, hockey is a popular sport that has brought honor to the nation. Indian hockey player Dhyan Chand was considered one of the best in the sport’s history. Another outstanding Indian hockey player from the past is Balbir Singh Sr. India’s hockey competitions have been instrumental in identifying and developing the talent and abilities of these great players.

The origins of Indian sports can be traced back to the prehistoric period. The history of Indian sports goes back to the 8000-year-old Indus Valley civilization. Hockey is recognized as the national sport of India. The International Hockey Federation has accepted India as its first non-European member nation.

Indian hockey stadiums provide top-notch facilities and resources. Since hockey is the national sport of India, much care is taken to guarantee that the nation’s hockey arenas adhere to international standards. Indian hockey arenas are green and spectator-friendly since they employ artificial grass. India has played host to several iconic hockey events over the years.

This leads to the organization of numerous hockey tournaments in India all year round. The whole schedule of all the important hockey competitions in India is provided below.

Hockey Tournaments in India: History Of Hockey

India suffered many consequences under the British Raj, chief among them being a fractured society and a faltering economy. However, there is always some good buried beneath every kernel of evil! Sports are among the unintentional gifts that the Europeans unintentionally gave us. The colonists enjoyed playing hockey and cricket, among other sports. However, the British had no idea that the two sports they introduced to India would become so popular that their largest colony would surpass them in both hockey and cricket. This blog will cover topics such as hockey history, India’s historical development, the sport’s golden age, etc.

India truly fell far, far behind Great Britain in hockey. Compared to the latter’s three Olympic gold medals, the former has won a record eight. A year after gaining independence, India’s 1948 Olympic gold medal victory over the British on their home ground has to be considered the pinnacle of their hockey dominance. Let’s discuss the life cycle!

From a historical perspective, hockey’s beginnings can be found in Egypt 4,000 years ago. Historians point out that an ad hoc version of the stick-and-ball game existed. Comparable fragments of evidence have been discovered in Iran circa 2,000 BC and Ethiopia circa 1,000 BC.

Nonetheless, field hockey as we know it today is credited to Britain for its development. In Blackheath, Ireland, the first field hockey club was founded in 1861. In Britain, the first association was established in 1876. Nine clubs with worldwide members became the first-ever permanent association ten years later.

List of Hockey Tournaments in India

Hockey India League

Eight city-based franchises, like the IPL or ISL, have competed in the league; two of them have dropped out; the Mumbai and Ranchi franchises were both resold after just one season. The league consists of six teams playing against each other.

The current teams are the Delhi Waveriders, Punjab Warriors, Orissa’s Ranchi Rays, Jharkhand’s Dabang Mumbai, Uttar Pradesh Wizards, and Kalinga Lancers. Interestingly, of the five seasons that have been held so far, five different teams have won the championship. Due to the huge salary, the league was first seen as a success and a godsend for Indian players, but it looks like there are problems right now. Indian athletes are allegedly not paid regularly, and it is believed that the competition only benefits northern India.

Aga Khan Cup

The Aga Khan competition lasts for an unusually long time. This is because the rival has limited resources at its disposal. The Bombay Gymkhana grounds serve as the venue for the Aga Khan tournament matches. They aren’t able to participate in multiple matches per day.

The Aga Khan and Beighton Cup competitions are always scheduled at the same time, which is another problem.

Beighton Cup

The Beighton Cup, which began in Calcutta in 1895, is reputed to be the oldest hockey event in the world, or at least among the oldest in India. The Bengal Hockey Association currently hosts the competition, which was initially held by the Indian Football Association. The competition has seen participation from Indian hockey stars such as Leslie Claudius, Gurbux Singh, Lance Naik Dhyan Chand, Pat Jensen, Joe Gallibardy, and others. Calcutta was India’s hockey capital for a while because of this.

Nehru Senior Hockey Tournament

The Jawaharlal Nehru Hockey Tournament Society organizes several different events, of which this is just one. The remaining events are university, boys (under 15 and under 17), and girls (under 17). This is the oldest competition, celebrating its 54th season in 2017.

Mahant Raja Sarveshwar Das Memorial All-India Hockey Tournament

The 76th competition took place at Rajnandgaon International Hockey Stadium, which is close to Raipur, in December 2017 or January 2018. Teams who participated included Rajnandgaon District Hockey Association, Central Railway, South Central Railways Secunderabad, Bharat Petroleum, SAIL (Rourkela), and several others.

S.N Vohra All-India Gurmit Memorial Hockey Tournament

S.N. Vohra’s under-14 sub-junior hockey competitions were held by CHA from 2001 to 2017 to promote hockey at the local level. The All India Gurmit Memorial Hockey Tournament (A-Grade), now in its 48th year, has been hosted by the Rock Rovers Hockey Club Chandigarh, a branch of Hockey Chandigarh (CHA) that is linked with the club since 1971. Chandigarh hosted the 46th edition in 2016. The 45th season’s winners were Punjab and Sindh Bank.

All India Sardar Balwant Singh Kapur Memorial Schools Hockey Tournament for Mata Parkash Kaur Cup

The tournament is for educational institutions, with a focus on kids under the age of 17. The winner received Rs. 1,25,000, while the runner-up received Rs. 80,000.

Premier Hockey League

The Premier Hockey League (PHL) was the top-level competitive field hockey league competition for Indian hockey teams. The PHL had seven clubs in it. There were yearly contests for the event from 2005 to 2008.