The roots of
hockey are buried deep in antiquity in the early civilizations. Historical
records show that a crude form of hockey was played in Egypt 4,000 years ago
and in Ethiopia around 1,000 BC before the Ancient Games of Olympia. Various museums offer evidence that a
form of the game was played by Romans and Greeks, and by the Aztec Indians in
South America several centuries before Columbus landed in the New World. While some played it just for recreation, the others
were thought that hockey would make them better warriors. Even though many
ancient civilizations played hockey in different variations, the modern game of
hockey, in particular the field hockey, developed in the British Isles in the
19th century.
This game is basically known as the “ball and
stick” game, it was played since ancient times in places diverse as Rome,
Scotland, Egypt and South America. The game was referred to in different names
but the basic idea of playing the game was the same. The most apt used term was
“Hockie” by the Irish. Though the term was coined centuries ago, the word found
its way through to the present generation.
In the 17th
and the early 18th century England, the game progressed to a fiercely
competitive and chaotic form. Villages would compete against their neighbours and
there were nearly 100 players in one team. The game was a matter of pride and
manhood, so the game acquired a
dangerous form. The game would last for half a month and many players would end
up injured and getting hurt. The referees were present but they were sort of
mute spectators, who would make a call only if a team asked them to.
The hockey
stick was introduced in the early 1800s. The first stick was created of wood
with a flat blade. In the 1920s, hockey players began to tape their sticks to
increase the hold and strengthen the blade. The banana curve or the bend in the
blade which we see today was developed during the phase between the years
1957-1980. A certain player named Bobby Hull broke a stick at a practice match and
began to play around with the “bent” stick and found that there was far more
accuracy in his shots. In the early 1980s, the sticks were formed of metals. By
the turn of the 21st century, there have been three types of hockey
sticks-wood, composite (reinforced wood sticks) and aluminium. The aluminium
hockey sticks are most often used today because of its light weight, durable
nature and replaceable blades.
In 1924
hockey took a very interesting step when the
International Hockey Federation, the world governing body for the sport, was
founded in Paris under the initiative of Frenchman, Paul Léautey. Mr. Léautey, became
the first President of the FIH, was motivated to action following hockey's
omission from the program of the 1924 Paris Games.
Three
years later, the International Federation of Women’s Hockey was formed. The
founding members were Australia, Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, South
Africa, the United States and Wales. After celebrating their respective Golden
Jubilees - the FIH in 1974 and the IFWHA in 1980 - the two organisations came
together in 1982 to form the FIH.
The growth of the
International Hockey Federation from its early beginnings has been most
impressive. Denmark joined in 1925, the Dutch men in 1926, Turkey in 1927, and
in 1928 - the year of the Amsterdam Olympics - Germany, Poland, Portugal and
India joined. India's addition marked the membership of the first non-European
country. By 1964, there were already 50 countries affiliated with the FIH, as
well as three Continental Associations - Africa, Pan America and Asia - and in
1974, there were 71 members. Today, the International Hockey Federation
consists of five Continental Associations - Europe and Oceania have since
joined - and 127 member associations. So, this was all about HOCKEY and its
history hope you liked it. Don't forget to comment below.
