An Introduction to Hockey
Hockey is considered by many the world’s 3rd most popular team sport only behind the usual suspects, Cricket and Football. One of the oldest modern-day sports, Hockey grips the attention of many enthusiasts all around the world. It is much more than 22 players with sticks running around a synthetic ball as some ignorant people like to say. The skills, endurance and tactics on display during a game of Field Hockey are extremely wonderful to watch.
Especially in India, Hockey has a huge fanbase and it has been so for a long long time. Furthermore, there was a time when Indians ruled the sport of Hockey and to date hold the title for having the highest number of Olympic Golds in the sport, having won a total of 8 Olympic Golds.
Is Hockey the National Sport of India?
Hockey is considered by many to be the national sport of India. This is mostly because of the highly rich History India has in the sport of Field Hockey. But in reality, while Hockey is one of the most if not the most popular sport in the country arguably second to only Cricket, it is not the National Sport of India. In fact, India doesn’t have any specific national sport as such. Still, many people mistakenly think of Cricket, Hockey, or Kabaddi as the National Sport of India.
But in this Article, we will be focusing on the Sport of Hockey from an International narrative and not just from an Indian perspective. So let us look at the best Hockey Teams in the World of All-Time and also according to their FIH rankings.
Best Hockey Teams in the World (Current)
According to the FIH (International Hockey Federation), the following is the list of the 10 best hockey teams in the world Currently:
| Rank | Team | Continental Federation | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Netherlands | EuroHockey | 3268.01 |
| 2 | Germany | EuroHockey | 3135.28 |
| 3 | England | EuroHockey | 3073.31 |
| 4 | Belgium | EuroHockey | 3058.66 |
| 5 | India | Asian Hockey Federation | 2948.67 |
| 6 | Australia | Oceania Hockey Federation | 2814.24 |
| 7 | Argentina | Pan American Hockey Federation | 2742.62 |
| 8 | Spain | EuroHockey | 2569.55 |
| 9 | Ireland | EuroHockey | 2156.04 |
| 10 | France | EuroHockey | 2115.85 |
Top 5 National Hockey Teams of All Time and Their Notable Achievements
1. India
- India has always been one of the powerhouses in international hockey and ranks number one on this list. The nation that produced Hockey Greats like Balbir Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and Major Dhyanchand, has captivated audiences worldwide for a long long time.
- Notable Achievements:
- 8-time Olympic Gold Medalists (1928, 1938, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980)
- World Cup Champions in 1975
- Dominated early 20th century hockey
- Historical Significance: India’s national team is one of the most successful in the sport’s history, particularly during the mid-20th century, when they were virtually unbeatable on the International Stage while having some of the all-time greatest hockey players. After a brief decline during the 1980s and 1990s and a disappointment in the 2012 Olympics, India is back on the path to victory and has clinched back-to-back Olympic Bronze medals in the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
2. Netherlands
- The Netherlands are the defending Olympic Champions after they won their 3rd Summer Olympics Gold after defeating Germany in Paris earlier this year. They also currently rank 1st in the FIH Rankings.
- Notable Achievements:
- 3-time World Cup Champions (1973, 1990, 1998)
- 3 Olympic Golds (1996, 2000, 2024)
- Multiple European Championship titles
- Historical Significance: The Dutch have consistently been at the forefront of world hockey with their best period of play coming in the 1990’s early 2000’s. Their Women’s team deserve a special mention as they are the most dominant force Hockey has possibly ever seen after the Golden Age Indian team and they just cannot stop winning. The Dutch women’s team has won three golds (1984, 2008, 2012), two silvers (2004, 2016) and three bronze medals (1988, 1996, 2000) in the Olympics making them the most decorated team in History.
3. Pakistan
- India’s greatest rivals on the International Stage, Pakistan were a dominant force for a long time and that can be seen through their achievements at the International stage. The Pakistan Field Hockey team has given big names to the sport such as Hassan Sardar, Sohail Abbas and Shahbaz Ahmed.
- Notable Achievements:
- 3-time Olympic Gold Medalists (1960, 1968, 1984)
- 4-time World Cup Champions (1971, 1978, 1982, 1994)
- Historical Significance: Pakistan is considered a powerhouse in field hockey, especially during the latter half of the 20th century, when they were able to go all the way in 4 Hockey World Cups. Their style of play was quite unique compared to others.
4. Australia
- The Australian Men’s hockey team are also known fondly by their nickname, the ‘Kookaburras’, taking after an Australian native bird going by the same name. The birds are known for their powerful beaks and sharp talons, representing the burning passion and vigour inside every Australian player. They are the only Australian team across any sport to have won medals at 6 consecutive Olympic Games from (1992-2012).
- Notable Achievements:
- 2-time World Cup Champions (1986, 2010, 2014)
- 1 Olympic Gold (2004)
- 15-time Champions Trophy winners
- Historical Significance: Australia has been a dominant force in modern hockey, boasting a lot of success in both the World Cup and Champions Trophy.
5. Germany
- Silver medallist at the recently concluded Paris Olympics 2024, the German hockey team is nicknamed ‘Honamas’. They have won the most EuroHockey Championships amongst all other European Nations.
- Notable Achievements:
- 2-time World Cup Champions (2002, 2006)
- 4 Olympic Gold Medals (1972, 1992, 2008, 2012)
- 8 EuroHockey Championships
- Historical Significance: Known for its disciplined, methodical style, Germany has been a key competitor in international hockey, especially in recent decades. Just like their Soccer teams, they are often attack-minded throughout the games full length.
Now that we’ve seen some of the best-ever Hockey teams, Let’s take a look at some of the Greatest Ever Players the sport of Hockey has graced.
Top 5 Best Hockey Players of All Time
Honorable Mentions
Before we get into the top 5 Greatest Hockey Players of All time, let’s take a look at some of the honourable mentions. The interesting part is that this top 5 has missed on some absolute greats of the sport. Including the names of Australian Defender Fergus Kavanagh, also regarded as one of the best defenders Hockey has seen. Jamie Dwyer and Ric Charlesworth, are two other Australians who missed out narrowly in the top 5 rankings of this list.
The Dutch legend, Teun de Nooijer, widely regarded as one of the best players of modern times, has scored 219 goals for the Netherlands in 453 International matches. Such is the competition for the top 5 spots, that even the great Balbir Singh Sr. missed out narrowly in the top 5. The Indian hockey player is widely regarded as the greatest centre-forward the sport of Hockey has seen. He has won 3 consecutive Olympic Medals with India and has scored a mammoth 246 goals in just 61 international games. That’s a goal-per-match ratio of 4.03 which is greater than a certain Dhyanchand’s goal Ratio of 3.08.
Now let’s take a look at the top 5 Greatest Hockey Players of all time.
5. Dhanraj Pillay
The Indian Legend, Dhanraj Pillay is the only player in the History of Field Hockey to have played in 4 Olympics, 4 World Cups, 4 Champions Trophies, and 4 Asian Games. He has scored more than 170 goals in 393 games for India and has captained them to Gold Medals in the 1998 Asian Games and 2003 Asian Cup. Coming into the darkest period of Indian hockey, he was the one shining light for India bringing joy to the subcontinental country more often than not. Pillay’s longevity in the sport is unmatched, especially being consistent throughout his playing career.
4. Shahbaz Ahmed
Known as the “Maradona of Field Hockey”, Shahbaz Ahmed’s dribbling skills have flattered the world every time he stepped onto the pitch. He won the 1994 Hockey World Cup with Pakistan and remains the only player in history to have won the Player of The Tournament award at two consecutive Hockey World Cups in 1990 and 1994. It was a menacing sight to see Shahbaz Ahmed bearing down on you with the ball at his stick as more often than not, he couldn’t be stopped with ease.
3. Hassan Sardar
Regarded as one of the most skillful players to grace the field, Hassan Sardar was a part of Pakistan’s golden generation of Hockey which won a Hockey World Cup (1982) and a Summer Olympic Gold (1984) in the space of 2 years. He even won the Man of the Tournament award for scoring 11 goals in the 1982 Hockey World Cup and captained the Pakistani Olympic Gold Medal-winning team two years later.
2. Sohail Abbas
Sohail Abbas, the Pakistani Legend is known for his drag-flicking ability and is known as the greatest drag-flicker the game has ever seen with an insanely high drag-flick conversion rate of 65%. He is also the first to reach the 300-goal mark(total of 348 goals in 315 games) in modern hockey and currently sits at number two on the list of the highest number of individual goals in Hockey and is also the fastest player in Field Hockey to reach the 100 and 200 goal mark. He also has the record for the most goals scored in a single calendar year at 60 goals and the record for the most hattricks in Field Hockey with 21 hattricks to his name.
1. Major Dhyan Chand
In the sport of Hockey, greatness is measured on two separate parameters. There is one for every other Hockey player, and then there is one for Major Dhyan Chand. The Greatest Field Hockey player of all time was so good that during the controversial 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, Adolf Hitler, impressed by Dhyan Chand’s skills offered him the post of Colonel in the Nazi Army. Nicknamed the Wizard, he was the reason why a German newspaper wrote a headline that stated, “The Olympic Complex Now Has a Magic Show Too”. Scoring 570 International Goals over a span of 185 matches. And over 1,000 goals counting the domestic ones as well. He also steered India to winning 3 Olympic Golds from 1928 to 1936. Even though the sport has seen its rules and the level of the games played change over the several decades since Dhyan Chand, it is clear that he is undoubtedly the Greatest Field Hockey Player of All Time.
International Hockey: A Global Perspective
One of the Oldest Modern-day sports to exist, Field Hockey has been and always will be a major part of Sports in general. Celebrated and played across all 6 Inhabitatant continents, its popularity and fervour cannot be rivalled by many sports. Hockey was introduced into the Olympics in 1908 and ever since has been absent only once in the 1924 Summer Games. Countries like the Netherlands, India, Pakistan, Australia, Germany and Argentina are powerhouses in the sport with the power-graph often shifting throughout the history of the sport. It has given the world of sports absolute Legends, like Dhyan Chand, Sohail Abbas and many more. Hockey rivalries are often fiercely fought on the field and it is one of the sports where each player has immense respect for their opponents on and off the field. It is simply a joy to watch with action-packed end-to-end stuff throughout the 60 Minutes.
What is your favourite memory from the world of Hockey? Which team do you support? Who is your all-time favourite hockey player? Let us know in the comments below.
