Hockey is our national sport and is widely respected in India. It is a popular sport because so many ancient cultures across the world had a sport resembling field hockey, leading to its rapid adoption. In modern times, it is a fast-paced and technical sport that is exciting to watch. Field hockey is most popular in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australasia. India has been a powerhouse in the sport for the longest.
Field hockey is an outdoor game played by two opposing teams of 11 players each who use sticks curved at the striking end to hit a small, hard ball into their opponent’s goal. It is called field hockey to distinguish it from the similar game played on ice. Field hockey is a widely played team sport of the hockey family. The game can be played on grass, watered turf, artificial turf, or synthetic, but the basic rules remain the same at all places. If we talk about India then the track record of India then it is quite good. Indian has won six gold medals in the Olympics and many consecutive matches.
There are two umpires on the hockey field, who are usually responsible for each half of the pitch. A player who breaches the rules, either by rough or dangerous play, misconduct, or an intentional offenses, can be shown a card — either green, yellow or red.
- Green. This is an official warning given to the hockey player to not break the rules.
- Yellow. This results in a hockey player being sent off the pitch for 5 minutes, following an offense.
- Red. A red card results in an early shower and is given for more serious offense.
Hockey players are required to be fit, fast, strong, powerful, and agile and perform many sprints throughout the game, often with little time to recover between each. Field hockey is associated with a high risk of injury, particularly sprains, strains, fractures, and bruises to the lower limbs, hand, and head. Ankle strains and sprains are the most common injuries in field hockey. Severe head injuries can occur, such as concussions, eye, and dental injuries.
Major Dhyan Singh is the father of hockey in India Born on August 29, 1905, in Allahabad to Sharadha Singh and Sameshwar Singh – a soldier in the British Indian Army, Dhyan Singh was drawn towards hockey at a very early age. Like his father, he too enrolled himself in the army at the age of 16 and continued to play his favorite sport there.