Field Hockey

Hockey is widely regarded as the oldest known ball-and-stick game, with ancient records showing it was played as far back as 2000 BC in Persia. The term “hockey” is believed to have originated from the French word hocquet, meaning “shepherd’s crook” — a reference to the curved stick used in the game to strike a small, hard ball.

The sport made its Olympic debut in London 1908 as part of the men’s programme and returned again at Antwerp 1920. However, it was not featured in the 1912 Stockholm or 1924 Paris Games. From Amsterdam 1928 onward, hockey has maintained a consistent presence on the Olympic programme, gaining global popularity, particularly in countries such as India, Pakistan, the Netherlands, Australia, Germany, and Argentina — many of which have become powerhouses in the sport.

Women’s hockey joined the Olympic stage much later, making its first appearance at Moscow 1980, with eight teams competing in the inaugural tournament. Since then, the women's game has grown significantly, with the number of participating teams expanded to ten at the Atlanta 1996 Games and continuing to attract increased global attention.

Olympic hockey is played on a synthetic turf surface, which replaced natural grass starting from the Montreal 1976 Games. This shift allowed for faster, more skill-intensive gameplay and has since become the international standard. The format of the Olympic tournament sees participating teams divided into two pools of six. Each team plays every other team in its pool in a round-robin format. The top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals. The winners of the semi-finals compete for the gold medal, while the losers play in the bronze medal match. Teams that do not reach the semi-finals play additional classification matches to determine their final standings from fifth place and below.

With a blend of speed, strategy, and stamina, hockey remains one of the most physically demanding and tactically rich team sports on the Olympic programme. Its unique blend of individual skill and cohesive teamwork continues to captivate fans and inspire athletes around the world.