Field hockey in India is not just a sport, it has become a part of Indian culture, gathering people till now. The availability of land as playing fields and a warm subtropical climate created conditions for Indians to play hockey and become one of the strongest nations in this sport. The Indian men’s hockey team over the years was the most successful one in Olympic history which now has 8 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze medals. India remains one of the favorites of large bookmakers.
Well-known bookies, such as “1 win” produce mobile software to fulfill betting demands and provide users with latest updates coming regularly. Users can go through 1win app download and follow the Telecom Asia Sport guide to use the app effectively.
Olympic Games 2024
At the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris India won a bronze medal, the 13th Olympic medal for the national team. As many bettors say, the game between India and Spain was unpredictable, during the challenges India had in recent decades, which led to the change in priorities from the rise of sports’ industry to the development of the country’s infrastructure.
Nevertheless, both goals for the Indian team were scored in the 30th and 33th minutes of the first period. The victory was secured by the team captain, Harmanspreet Singh.
Origins
Historically, it was British soldiers who helped field hockey reach India, when the country was one of the British colonies. Firstly, field hockey was introduced as a popular school game and army sport. But years passed and now field hockey is one of the most popular and high-performance sports in India, along with cricket.
Golden era
The period from 1920s to 1950s is known as the “Golden Era” of Indian hockey: India won 6 Olympic gold medals during these years.
Apart from the team’s achievements, there were players whose names went down in Indian history. Dhyan Chand became a national icon and was named “The Wizard” for his fabulous stickwork and goal-scoring talent.
The predominance of India in field hockey was enforced by the defender Leslie Claudius, who was captain of India’s hockey team and led the country to Olympic gold in 1948 and 1956.
Talent, force and lightning speed of the whole India’s team are well known all over the world. These factors made it unbeatable.
What about now?
- Stagnation: After the golden era, India had struggles, such as adaptation to changes in modernized playing styles and limited investment in hockey infrastructure. These all prevented player development.
- Rise of Cricket: growing popularity of other kinds of sport (Cricket, Football) attracted more attention of young talents, than field hockey.
- Past success was the focus: The training system relied on past victories, instead of improving it for new goals.
Even today, the spirit of the golden era is remembered by Indians and made them proud of their country and its history. For a long time, India was a British colony and field hockey became a way to show the world that this small country can rise and be the best.
