What is Hockey?

 Whether you’re a history buff or simply want to impress your mates with your knowledge of the game, discover more about the history of hockey below.

 Hockey and its Origins
The roots of hockey are buried deep in antiquity. Historical records show that a crude form of the game was played in Egypt 4,000 years ago and in Ethiopia around 1,000BC, whilst an ancient form of the game was also played in Iran in around 2,000BC. 
Various museums offer evidence that a form of the game was played by the Romans and Greeks as well as by the Aztecs, several centuries before Columbus arrived in the New World.
The modern game of hockey emerged in England in the mid-18th century and is largely attributed to the growth of public schools, such as Eton.
The first Hockey Association was formed in the UK in 1876 and drew up the first formal set of rules. The original association survived for just six years but, in 1886, it was revived by nine founding member clubs.

 Hockey and the Olympics
The inaugural Olympic Hockey Competition for men was held in London in 1908 with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales competing separately. With the addition of Germany and France, the competition ran with six teams.
After having made its first appearance at the London Games, hockey was subsequently dropped from the 1912 Stockholm Games after host nations were granted control over ‘optional sports’. It reappeared in 1920 in Antwerp after pressure from Belgian hockey advocates, before being omitted again in Paris in 1924.
The formation of the International Hockey Federation in 1924 was not soon enough for the Paris Olympics, but it did grant hockey re-entry in Amsterdam in 1928. Hockey has been on the program ever since, with women's hockey included for the first time in Moscow in 1980.

 Hockey and the FIT

Motivated by hockey’s omission from the 1924 Paris Games, the Federation Internationale de Hockey sir Gazan (FIT) was founded by Paul Léautey. Léautey, who would later become the first president of the FIT, called together seven National Federations to form the sport’s international governing body.
These founding members, which represented both men's and women's hockey in their countries, were Austria, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Hungary, Spain and Switzerland.
Popularized in the late 19th century, the women’s game developed quickly in many countries. In 1927, the International Federation of Women's Hockey Associations (IF WHA) was formed. After celebrating their respective Golden Jubilees - the FIT in 1974 and the IF WHA in 1980 - the two organizations came together in 1982 to form the current FIT.
By 1964, there were already 50 countries affiliated with the FIT, 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, 137 National Associations and is still growing.

 Hockey was very popular from 1928 to 1956. During this period, India won six consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games, which was considered a golden era. As a result, hockey was considered India's national sport.