The Complete History Of Hockey In India

History Of Hockey In India: 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!

However, how did India become one of the world’s top hockey teams? Let us investigate the background of hockey in India. However, before that, a brief recap of hockey’s history

History of Hockey In India

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.

Hockey and the Olympics

the addition of hockey to the Olympic program in 1908, which included participation from France, Germany, and the four countries in the United Kingdom. From that point on, it was intermittent until the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, which were held in between the exclusions of Stockholm (1912) and Paris (1924). It has been a consistent component of the Olympics ever since. In 1980, Moscow hosted the first-ever women’s hockey game.

The Complete History Of Hockey In India

Indian hockey was introduced by British regiments. Hockey was the British person’s second favorite pastime, behind cricket.

In Calcutta, the first professional hockey club was founded in 1885–1886. Soon after, clubs were established in Punjab and Bombay. The latter would go on to create countless hockey legends for the world.

Bengal Hockey was the original name of the Indian Hockey Association. As the game gained popularity across the nation, a large number of new associations were formed. The most well-known ones were in Delhi, Orissa, Bihar, and Bombay.

The Golden Era of Indian Hockey

1928 Amsterdam Olympics: A Legend is Born

During the 1928 Amsterdam Games in the Netherlands, the Indian hockey team made its Olympic debut. The men’s squad defeated considerably more seasoned European opponents by significant margins in their Division A games. Among them were some impressive thrashings by Denmark (6-0), Austria (6-0), Belgium (9-0), and Switzerland (5-0).

However, the gold medal match against the host nation, Holland, was quite difficult, particularly in the first half. But in the second half, the Indians pulled off an incredible comeback. They finished first on the podium, three points ahead of their rivals.

The team had won gold in its first-ever Olympics and came home victorious. Additionally, it was the nation’s first-ever gold medal in any team event at the Olympics.

The fact that the Indians didn’t give up a goal while winning the championship was evidence of their supremacy.

Dhyan Chand, a 23-year-old player, was the team’s best performer. With 14 goals, the forward, who was born in Allahabad, lit up the tournament. Three hat-tricks were scored, one of which occurred in the championship.

Chand, known by his skillful goal-scoring abilities as “The Wizard,” would lead India to further victory in the upcoming Olympic Games.

1932 Los Angeles Olympics: The Biggest Win. Ever.

With just three other teams competing (the USA and Japan), the Indian hockey team had an easy time defending their Olympic title four years later in Los Angeles.

‘Comfortable’ would be a stretch! The Indians’ massive 24-1 victory over the Americans in the finals was the largest win in hockey history at the time.

Roop Singh, the brother of Dhyan Chand, was the star of the game against the USA, scoring ten goals to outscore the hapless hosts.

Before New Zealand defeated Samoa 36-0 in 1994, the record had been in place for over 60 years. Furthermore, in 2018, India maintained its record by crushing Hong Kong, China, 36-0.

1936 Berlin Olympics: A Close Shave with Hitler

Team India’s 1936 Berlin Olympics campaign got off to a tense start after they were humiliated 4-1 by hosts Germany in a practice match. But the squad advanced to the semi-finals by defeating well-known opponents Japan (9-0), Hungary (4-0), and the United States of America (7-0), helped by an impressive Dhyan Chand.

They defeated France 10-0 in the semifinals to set up a tantalizing final matchup with home team Germany.

The Indian squad was understandably anxious heading into the finals, having already experienced a loss at the hands of their opponents. The thunderous conclusion was performed in front of 40,000 ecstatic spectators. Fuhrer Adolf Hitler, the despised tyrant, was also present.

In the first half, the Germans were able to keep Dhyan Chand and the Indians to only one goal.

But in the second half, India launched an all-out assault and defeated the hosts with seven goals, clearly infuriating the Fuhrer. According to legend, Hitler stormed out of the stadium after his country lost 8-1. But he came back for the award ceremony.

The Indian Hockey team successfully defended the title for the third consecutive year, but tensions increased when Hitler summoned Dhyan Chand to a meeting in his “special” private room.

History Of Hockey In India: Dhyan Chand’s meeting with Adolf Hitler

Given that he had heard tales of Hitler executing people in his private chamber, Dhyan Chand’s anxiety over the meeting was understandable. To his relief, though, Chand’s outstanding performance in the final was praised by Hitler.

Furthermore, it is said that the Fuhrer offered Dhyan Chand a prominent position in the Nazi army after learning that he was a member of the Indian army.

The 31-year-old is reported to have graciously declined the offer in response, citing the family’s migration as a limitation. Thank goodness, Hitler was understanding and bade Chand farewell.

That was their final meeting together. Germany would launch the Second World War three years later, which ended with Adolf Hitler’s suicide in 1945.

Nevertheless, the eight-year break from the Olympics was another consequence of the six-year conflict. This also meant that some of the greatest hockey players of all time, including Dhyan Chand, Roop Singh, and Carlyle Tapsell, had to bid adieu to their careers.

1948 London Olympics: Memorable of the lot

1948 saw the return of the Olympics after an eight-year break, coinciding with India’s independence. That was a time when India was not seen as a power to be reckoned with without their great captain, Dhyan Chand.

Those doubts were quickly allayed, though, as the team easily defeated Argentina (9-1), Austria (8-0), and Spain (2-0) on their way to the semifinals. The star of the performance was 23-year-old forward Balbir Singh. On his debut, he scored two goals and a hat-trick in the 9-1 rout over Argentina.

India’s gold medal match was an emotional event because they were competing against Great Britain, their erstwhile colonizers. As fate would have it, the much-awaited conclusion was set for August 12—three days before India’s first anniversary of independence.

The Brits fielded a defensive formation in the highly charged political and emotional contest at Wembley. Nevertheless, an excellent Balbir gave India an early lead in the game. It was the second one, right before halftime.

With a decisive 4-0 victory over Great Britain, Pat Jensen and Trilochan Singh both scored one goal in the second half to ensure that an independent India kept their Olympic hockey title.

For a nation devastated by the violent division and its consequences on the economy, the win had been a huge relief. Taking into account the Indian Hockey Federation’s financial constraints, India’s 1948 Olympic triumph appears to be nothing short of a miracle.

Acknowledging this, the BBC appropriately referred to India’s 1948 gold medal performance as one of the most “politically significant” moments in the history of the Games.

1952 Helsinki Olympics: History Of Hockey In India

For India, the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games proved to be another peaceful experience. The squad easily overcame Austria 4-0 in the second round to secure a spot in the semifinals against a well-known foe in Great Britain. With the India hockey team winning the game 3-1, it was once again an easy task.

The Netherlands was ultimately doomed to a 6-1 loss at the hands of the Asians in the gold medal match. That was India’s fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics.

Fun fact: At 19 years and 263 days old, Chinadorai Deshmutu of the Indian hockey team was the youngest athlete competing at the 1952 Games.

History Of Hockey In India: 1956 Melbourne Olympics: The Sweet Six

At the 1956 Melbourne Games, the Indian team displayed no mercy towards their rivals, even during the latter stages of their Olympic triumph.

In the group stage, the team outscored their opponents by a record 36 goals. This encompassed the humiliations inflicted upon Afghanistan (14-0), the United States (16-0), and Singapore (6-0).

The masterminds behind India’s Olympic Golden March were hockey giants like Balbir Singh, Leslie Claudius, Randhir Singh Gentle, Shankar Lakshman, and Amir Kumar.

India was to play Pakistan, their bitter rivals, in the gold medal match at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in an epic finale.

The captain of India, Balbir Singh Sr., suffered a serious blow when he fractured his dominant right hand in the lead-up to the match.

Nevertheless, despite the excruciating sports injury, a strong Singh chose to play in the championship game. According to legend, Singh received three shots to ease his pain before the thrilling match.

He was chastised by the local media for endangering the chances of his team winning the gold medal. They overlooked the fact that Singh was not only a captain who had led India to victory without losing a game but also an in-form player. It was surely going to take his leadership to help India win this intensely emotional match.

The first half was a hard-fought contest, with both teams doing a good job of holding their own. Due to his injury, Balbir Singh’s team’s offensive capabilities were restricted. The half ended with the scores tied at zero.

In the second minute of the second half, left-back Randhir Gentle converted a penalty corner, providing unexpected assistance. India ultimately prevailed 1-0 to win the gold medal at the Olympics for the sixth time in a row.

1960 Rome Olympics: Revenge is Sweet

When the Indian hockey team entered the 1960 Rome Olympics, they were the clear favorite to win gold. The men advanced to the quarterfinals with easy victories over Denmark (10-0), the Netherlands (4-1), and New Zealand (3-0). After that, the team triumphed over Great Britain and Australia to set up a rematch with bitter rival Pakistan.

But unlike the Olympics in 1956, this time around, the finals would not be simple. India was up against a strong Pakistani team that had scored 24 goals and only given up one. The eagerly awaited gold medal match got off to a great start, with Naseer Bunda giving Pakistan the lead. Regretfully, India was unable to respond. India was defeated 1-0 at the end of the match. Unfortunately, the team’s record of winning six straight gold medals was not broken.

However, that was not the end of the story; the two would again cross paths at the subsequent Olympics.

1964 Tokyo Olympics: The Revenge of Revenge is Sweeter!

After suffering a devastating final loss to rival Pakistan, the Indian hockey team began their 1964 Olympic campaign with trepidation. They drew 1-1 with Spain in their opening match, then drew again with Germany.

But as the match went on, the squad found its lost impetus again. It proceeded to win each of the final five games to take the lead in Group B. India easily secured a spot in the finals by defeating Australia 3-1 in the semi-finals.

But as fate would have it, with Pakistan, its bitter rivals, also serving as fellow finalists, the Indian team was also given a fantastic chance to get revenge for its 1964 loss.

The Indians carried out this action. They secured the sixth Olympic gold in the process, sending the Pakistanis to a 1-0 loss.

The years 1928–1964 are regarded as Indian hockey’s golden age. In the Olympics, the team scored an incredible 178 goals while only giving up 7 goals. The hockey world has never seen dominance like this one before.

India produced some of the best athletes the world has ever seen during this time. Among them were Harbinder Singh, Harmik Singh, Gurbux Singh, Virender Singh, Balbir Singh, Gurbux Singh, Zafar Iqbal, Mohd. Shaheed, Merwin Fernandes, Ajitpal Singh, B. P. Govinda, Charles Cornelius, and Harbinder Singh.

1980 Olympics: The Eighth Time

India competed in the 1980 Moscow Olympics, winning their opening match 18–0 against Tanzania. This was followed by a commanding 13-0 triumph over Cuba and a 2-2 draw with Poland and Spain. India achieved a noteworthy 4-2 victory over the Soviet Union. India set a record by winning their eighth gold medal in the final match, defeating Spain 4-3, to round off the tour.

History Of Hockey In India: Hockey in Modern India

However, with some incredible performances, the younger generation is returning India’s game to its former glory. The Indian men’s team broke their long medal drought in 2016 as they earned a silver medal at the Champions Trophy, their first-ever medal at a major competition.

They also advanced to the Olympics’ knockout round for the first time in more than 36 years. The team also advanced to the 2018 World Cup quarterfinals, although they were defeated 2-1 by the Netherlands in a hard-fought match.

An important turning point for Indian hockey occurred on August 5, 2021, when the men’s squad accomplished an incredible feat. They joyfully made their way back to the Olympic podium by winning a bronze medal in Tokyo 2020, ending a 41-year hiatus. This triumph was achieved with a valiant win in the third-place playoff match against Germany.

Indian Men’s Hockey: Medal Record

Indian Women’s Hockey: Medal Record

Frequently Asked Questions About History Of Hockey In India

When did India win its last Olympic gold medal in hockey?

India’s final hockey gold medal from the Olympics came at the 1980 Moscow Games.

How is the future of Indian hockey looking?

It seems like Indian hockey has a bright future. Indian hockey appears to be headed in the right direction, as evidenced by the rise of gifted young players, more infrastructure and training investment, and enhanced international performances.

Who are some legendary Indian hockey players?

India has given birth to several renowned hockey players, including Major Dhyan Chand, Pargat Singh, Dhanraj Pillay, and Balbir Singh Sr. These athletes continue to inspire future generations and have made a lasting impression on the game.

How popular is hockey compared to other sports in India?

Even though hockey is still a beloved sport in India, cricket is still the country’s most popular sport. The sport has a devoted following and is watched by many people, particularly during important international competitions.