History

Hockey is one of the many sports derived from pre historic man's delight in stick and ball games. It is a game played between two teams on a field with  curved sticks and a small hard ball. Its birth place was Asia and authorities credit Persia with having devised it about 2000BC.

Modern hockey was created in England. The true ancestor of hockey was Irish hurling. The first hockey club was formed in Blackheath in 1861. The first international match was played in 1895 between England and Ireland. In 1908 hockey was included in the modern Olympic Games. The most extra ordinary aspect of its evolution is that a game once so rough and unruly was adopted by women.

Hockey became popular in India when the British Regiments played the game in India and introduced it in the British Indian Regiments who quickly picked up the game. The first hockey club was formed in Calcutta in 1885-86 followed by Bombay and Punjab. The Bengal Hockey was the first Hockey Association in India founded in 1908. With the popularity of the game, associations were formed in different states like Bombay, Bihar, Orissa and Delhi.

In Olympic games India played hockey for the first time in 1928 held in Amsterdam and won the title. India lifted the Olympic Hockey Crown for five time in a row. India's first Olympic entry in hockey culminating in victory gave the Indian Hockey Federation a name and reputation. Dhyan Chand, Allen, Norris, Pinniger, Yusuf Gateley and Cullen were some of the brilliant hockey players.

Women in India have also been taken up to hockey. Women's hockey has been included in the Asiad 82. Their standard of play is fairly good. A series of coaching camps has helped the players attain a commendable standard.