Introduction
Hockey is one of the oldest sports in India. The long history of the national sport of India has come a long way from winning six consecutive gold to winning bronze in the recently ended Paris Olympics 2024. The first hockey club in India was formed in Kolkata back in 1885-86. The oldest hockey tournament in India the Beighton Cup made its mark in the former capital of the country in 1895.
Field hockey traces its roots back to the 16th century. Men’s field hockey has been played at the Summer Olympic Games since 1908. Except for two times in 1912 and 1924 respectively. The women’s field hockey has been played since 1980. The sport was approved by the Indian Hockey Federation in 1925. The recent success in the sport has yet again given rise to the fall of the sport in India.
Best Indian Hockey Players
Over the years India has produced some of the greatest talents in field hockey. Some of them were there before the independence of the country and some were there after. The rich history of the sport has honoured the greatest athletes of all time for the nation. On the occasion of the national sports day, we take a look at some greatest hockey players to ever play for India. Here are the stars for India in field hockey:
5. Sandeep Singh
He is one of the most prominent names in modern field hockey. The ex-captain of the hockey India team was a penalty corner specialist for the team. He played in the defense of the team. The former Indian hockey player was also named ‘Flicker Singh’. He holds the world record for the fastest drag flick in hockey at 145 kilometers per hour, which he achieved in 2010.
4. P. R. Sreejesh
P.R. Sreejesh is one of the most loved names in recent times for India. The veteran goalkeeper has announced his retirement from the sport after winning the bronze medal in the Paris Olympics 2024. Sreejesh is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of hockey. The former captain also is a coach and trains the U-21 team of the nation.
3. Mohammad Shahid
Shahid was regarded as the most skillful player in the nation. The attacking winger to their eighth and final Olympic gold medal to date at Moscow 1980. The former India player was awarded the Padma Shri and the Arjuna Award in 1980–1981 for his achievements with the national team.
2. Dhanraj Pillay
Pillay made his debut in 1989 and picked up from where Shahid left the team. He became one of the best attackers in international hockey during the 1990s. Pillay led the team to an Asian Games gold in 1998 after a 32-year gap with a brilliant individual performance. However, he never won a medal in the Olympic games for the nation.
1. Dhyan Chand
Major Dhyan Chand is the best hockey player in the history of the game. He has the record of scoring two hattricks in the Olympic finals. This record is unbroken to date. Dhyan Chand made his Olympic debut back in 1928. The forward scored 14 goals in the multinational event. He earned a gold medal for the Indian team as well.
Brief History of Indian Hockey
Field hockey was first played in Kolkata back in 1885. Then there were talks of forming a hockey association in India in 1907 and 1908. However, the talks were not given much value and the formation could not happen. In 1924 the formation of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) was done. Soon a year later the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was also formed.
After formation the following year they toured New Zealand where the Indian hockey men’s team played 21 matches and won 18. This marked the growth of Indian Hockey and a legendary young player was spotted by the nation named Dhyan Chand. The team featured first in the 1928 Olympic Games. Since then they have gone on to win 8 gold medals, one silver and four bronze in their bags.
In the 1970s the women’s team went on for their first international tournament. The Hockey World Cup was held in 1974 in Mandelieu. India finished fourth in that very tournament. Their best Olympic result came in the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics. Here also they finished fourth. This was the first time a women’s event was held in Olympic history. The team also won the gold medal at the inaugural 1982 Asian Games. The side defeated Korea in the final.
During the 1980s the team won their last Gold medal in Moscow Olympic Games. Since then they went on to win several medals in different events but failed in the Olympics. In 2008 came as a shocker when the team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics for the first time since 1928. After 2010 the men’s team got revival and they won two bronze medals in 14 years and even defeated Australia after 52 years in the Olympics.
Indian Hockey Team Jersey
The team India hockey jersey for the men’s team has evolved over the years. During the pre-independence time, the jersey had thick collars. The shorts ended at the players’ knees. As time passed by this evolved into a collared light blue jersey and navy shorts, which lasted until the late 2000s. During the 2010 hugging jerseys were more in line. It was worn by many international teams and clubs during that time.
During the 2023 FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup. The Indian team was sponsored by the Odisha government. They wore the similar wear sky-blue jerseys. This time it was collarless, half-sleeved jerseys that were emblazoned with the branding of all the sponsors and partners, with ‘India’, and ‘Odisha’. Shiv Naresh is the jersey maker for the side. It has been dressing up almost all Indian sportspersons. Puma has become the official as the official footwear partner of the Indian Olympic Association.
Conclusion
Now the men’s and women’s teams become strong contenders on the world stage. Indian hockey is now in a position to reclaim the glory of old. They are continuing to invest in grassroots development, improved infrastructure, and a focus on nurturing young talent for the bigger stages of the game. The fans are expecting better performances in international tournaments such as the FIH Hockey World Cup and the Olympic Games in the forthcoming years.
