For the longest time, people believed that Hockey was the national sports of India. This belief stemmed from the fact that the hockey team of India was the best performing field hockey team in the world for several decades and won 8 gold medals in numerous Olympic events over the years. Players like Dhyanchand became a household name across the nation and are still revered as some of the most iconic and well known sport personalities in India. Recent clarifications have revealed that India does not have an official national sport.
The popularity of hockey, which had been decreasing for some time following the popularity of cricket, is on the rise once again. It has become common now to find photos of hockey players plastered all over the newspapers, the most recent example being the media coverage they received after the team qualified for the Hockey World Cup which will be held this year.
The period of 1920-1980 is considered the golden period of Indian Hockey. During this time, the men’s hockey team of India won 8 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals in the Olympics. After 1980, the hockey saw a sharp decline in India and the team did not even qualify for the Olympics held in 2008. The women’s Indian Hockey team began performing better after 2000, and they won the gold prize in 2002 Commonwealth Games, and then went on to win two more gold prizes in international events.
Indian Hockey has been twisted in scandals and the Indian Hockey Federation had to be dissolved in 2009 after charges of multiple counts of corruption were brought against its directors. A new body was formed which was made up of former hockey player and both men’s and women’s team have been improving since the formation of this new body, called Hockey India. Many changes have been made in the way hockey is played in India, and Hockey India has recently started Hockey India
League, the hockey equivalent of the highly popular Indian Premier League event for cricket. Interest in the sport by government bodies as well as private corporations has increased and Hockey India is now recognised by the International Hockey Federation. One can only hope that the Indian hockey team will take its place as the top team in the world once again, and photos of hockey players will once again become a common sight on newspapers, magazines and TV screens.
The popularity of hockey, which had been decreasing for some time following the popularity of cricket, is on the rise once again. It has become common now to find photos of hockey players plastered all over the newspapers, the most recent example being the media coverage they received after the team qualified for the Hockey World Cup which will be held this year.
The period of 1920-1980 is considered the golden period of Indian Hockey. During this time, the men’s hockey team of India won 8 gold medals, 1 silver medal, and 2 bronze medals in the Olympics. After 1980, the hockey saw a sharp decline in India and the team did not even qualify for the Olympics held in 2008. The women’s Indian Hockey team began performing better after 2000, and they won the gold prize in 2002 Commonwealth Games, and then went on to win two more gold prizes in international events.
Indian Hockey has been twisted in scandals and the Indian Hockey Federation had to be dissolved in 2009 after charges of multiple counts of corruption were brought against its directors. A new body was formed which was made up of former hockey player and both men’s and women’s team have been improving since the formation of this new body, called Hockey India. Many changes have been made in the way hockey is played in India, and Hockey India has recently started Hockey India
League, the hockey equivalent of the highly popular Indian Premier League event for cricket. Interest in the sport by government bodies as well as private corporations has increased and Hockey India is now recognised by the International Hockey Federation. One can only hope that the Indian hockey team will take its place as the top team in the world once again, and photos of hockey players will once again become a common sight on newspapers, magazines and TV screens.
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