Celebrating 100 Years of Indian Hockey: A Journey Of The Sport In The Country
India has completed 100 years of its entry into international hockey and it has been a journey of ups and downs for the country.
Published : November 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM IST
Hyderabad: The hockey fraternity witnessed a historic day on November 7 as the country completed 100 years since India first appeared at the international level. In 1925, India made its mark at the international stage for the first time and witnessed a journey which included extreme highs in the early years and lows for a significant period as well.
India established itself as a sporting powerhouse across the globe through the sport. They have been one of the strong teams in the Olympics and also gave many great players to the world. Cricket overlapped the sport in terms of popularity after they won the World Cup in 1973, but hockey was the heartbeat of the country once upon a time. Even today, there are many hockey fans in the country and especially after they won bronze in the last two Olympics, the sport has seen a surge in its following in India.
Formation of the Indian Hockey Federation (IFH)
The hockey in India witnessed the first club in Calcutta in 1855. There were discussions around forming a hockey association in the country in 1907 and 1908. The Indian Hockey Federation (IFH) was formed in 1925, one year after the formation of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
But the Indian Olympic Association dismissed FIH in 2008 due to allegations of bribery and poor administrative practices. Hockey India was formed as the new governing body in 2009.
Since its inception in the country hockey got popularity as the Indian team dominated the global field in the early years. The country has won 13 Olympic medals so far, including eight gold. Also, they have won the World Cup once.
How did the introduction of Astroturf result in the decline of Indian hockey?
The Indian hockey team, which made the whole world their fan, doesn’t enjoy a similar kind of prestige in the world anymore. The introduction of the Astroturf in 1975 by FIH and the regular use of surface since the 1976 Olympics resulted in India losing its stature in world hockey.
The team were unable to quickly adopt to the new surface as it require more speed rather than skill. On the grass, the Indian players were known for their dribbles and trickery with the sticks. However, on the new surface they need to catch the passes which were travelling at a quick speed and show significan level of increase in their fitness.
From 1984 to 2016, India were unable to win a single medal in the Olympics and failing to qualify for the 2008 edition was the worst low they hit.
Golden Age of Indian hockey
India have been an extremely dominant force in hockey, even more than cricket. On their first international tour in 1926, India won a total of 18 matches out of 21 in New Zealand. They won six consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1928 to 1956. They also won a gold medal in the 1964 and 1980 editions. Also, they were winners of the World Cup in 1975.
