Buried
deep in Egypt’s Nile Valley lies the village
of Beni Hasan, known for its ancient cliff tombs
dating from 2000 BC. A drawing decorates one tomb,
showing two men holding sticks with curved ends
and standing over a ball. Add synthetic turf and
shin guards, and it might pass for hockey at the
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
One of the world’s oldest known sports,
hockey predates the Ancient Games of Olympia by
perhaps 1200 years or more. Indeed, historians
believe it existed in many of the world’s
early civilizations. |
The Arabs, Greeks, Romans, Persians and Ethiopians all
played variations of the game. Several centuries before
Christopher Columbus found his New World, the Aztec
Indians were playing it in Central America. The Araucano
Indians of Argentina invented a game similar to hockey
called Cheuca, believing it would make them better warriors.
Yet, the term `hockey’ is believed to be of French
origin. A 16th century Irish document refers to `hockie’,
but the term probably comes from the French hocquet,
meaning `a shepherd’s crook.’
The modern game we know as hockey - or field hockey,
for those distinguishing it from ice hockey - evolved
in the British Isles in the 19th century. It was a popular
English school game, possibly adapted from the Irish
game of hurling.
The British army helped spread hockey internationally
through the British Empire, its popularity especially
booming in India and Pakistan. The London Hockey Association
formed in 1886, and rules soon were standardised. The
International Hockey Federation (FIH) formed in Paris
in 1924, and the International Federation of Women’s
Hockey followed in 1927.
Men’s hockey first appeared at the 1908 Olympic
Games in London. It reappeared in Antwerp in 1920, then
returned to stay at the 1928 Amsterdam Games. Women’s
hockey waited much longer, finally debuting in 1980.
"India won six straight Olympic gold
medals while winning 24 consecutive matches between
1924 and 1956, a record likely to stand through the
ages. The Indians have won two more gold since then."
One name evokes the memory of their dominance: Balbir
Singh. It’s one name, five people. The first Balbir
Singh played with the great Indian teams of 1948, 1952
and 1956, his glory peaking at Helsinki in 1952 when
he scored five goals in a 6-1 gold medal victory over
the Netherlands. The four later Balbir Singhs played
with the later Indian champions.
Pakistan finally broke India’s hold on the sport
in 1960, a decade when the two would keep taking the
gold from each other.
Now, as the Dutch men and Australia’s women head
into Sydney as defending champions, no team has won
consecutive gold since the legendary Indian run.
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