Essay On Hockey – Hockey is the famous sport of world, which played by two opponent teams with a curved stick and a ball. Hockey is outdoor game which is played by 11 players in each team and it has two teams. Hockey is one of the ancient sport of world, there are many evidences found during discovery of ancient Egypt about Hockey, which was near about 4000 years old. That time the game was being played between warriors; sometimes for victory of kingdom and sometimes just for fun. In India the British Empire made this game popular. At any time Hockey was the National game of India. But now it is just like any other sport. Hockey includes three types of variation of Hockey- Bandy hockey, Ice hockey and Field Hockey.
Essay On Hockey
History of Hockey
The word Hockey is still unknown, but experts say that the shape of Hockey stick is like curved hook, that’s why the game’s name is considered as Hockey. Many of evidences found which proofs that Hockey is not a new game, but actually very old, the ball and sticks made with horns have been found in discovery. One can still watch this in museum of Athens and Greece.
If we talk about Indian Hockey then Calcutta is the first center of Hockey, and here the first club was build up in 1885. And after came up in Punjab and Mumbai. Many times India has won the gold medal in Hockey, and made Our Country proud. In 1928, Indian Hockey team which was the first Non European team had won the gold medal, which was first Olympic gold medal of India, and after that India won many gold medals one by one. That’s why Hockey is considered as National game of India, but officially it is not announced.
Importance of Hockey
Any of game or sport has own importance, but one thing is similar that games are the sources of good physical exercise. Hockey has many important roles in sports world and also in Olympics, because many times India got the victory by defeating the opposite teams, and that should be appreciated and proud for India. Many tremendous players play Hockey in Indian Team like Dhyan Chand, Ajit Pal Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and others. They all are real heroes for Indian Hockey team. India has made the specific and important place in world in Hockey just by a ball and a stick. The day of 1928 when India won its first gold medal in Amsterdam Olympic championship is still unforgettable moment for Indian hockey.
Hockey – National game of India
Hockey is considered as national game of India, and there are many reasons behind it, hockey has some variations like Field Hockey, Ice Hockey and Bandy Hockey, Roller skates Hockey. Field Hockey is considered as National Game of India, which is played by two teams on a grass field. And field hockey was introduced by British Empire in India in 19th century. The first hockey association was Bengal Hockey association of India, which was established in 1908. From 1929 to 1956 was the golden period for India in Hockey because India won the Gold medal step by step in Olympic, that’s why hockey game became National game of India. And Indian Players has done tremendous job and hard work for victory, the moment is still memorizing for every Indian.
Rules of Hockey
The game period is 70 minutes, and there are two halves for 35-35 minutes but from 2014 now there are 4 halves with the gap of 15 minutes and 2 min for rest break for players after every period. There are 11 players in each team 10 for field and 1 for goalkeeping. Each player plays with a hockey stick which is 200c.m. long and maximum weight of stick is around 737 grams. And a ball made with tough plastic, players have to goal it to the goalkeeper, the players are not allowed to touch the ball with hands or kick it. Two field umpires look after the game and which team scores more; win the match.
International Recognition
The FIH or International Hockey Federation is responsible for internationals Field hockey and Indoor hockey in field especially world cup tournaments. The main headquarter of FIH is stated in Switzerland and Mr. Narendra Batra is the president of FIH. There are totally 128 members of FIH, and FIH also governing the women hockey championship. Great Britain is also the part of FIH which includes Scotland and England. The world ranking of FIH was updated after hockey tournaments finished. FIH includes events:
Hockey World Cup
Women Hockey world Cup
Junior World Cup
Hockey world League
Hockey Champions Trophy
Hockey Champion Challenge
There are two categories for award in Hockey
- Player of the year award for both men and women
- Honorary Award
- Young category award was included in 2001 for junior players under 21.
Health benefits of playing Hockey
Hockey is the game of running, and snatching the ball cleverly and your muscle should have enough strength to hit the ball with enough power. And you become a winner, concentration is the key for every game, the games whether indoor or outdoor have many health benefits for human body like:
- Hockey helps to burn extra fat and calories from body, because the game demands for much energy.
- Through hockey you need not to do any other exercise because hockey itself the full body exercises.
- Hockey enhances the strength of muscles and makes you more flexible which help you to look like muscle man; this is plus point for your personality.
- Hockey improves your cardiovascular system, because the body requires more oxygen and this helps to develop the breathing activity.
- Hockey makes you more sharp sight and vision, because you have some seconds for snatching the ball from opponent.
- Hockey increases the team spirit, winning or losing is the part of game.
- Hockey improves your communication skills by indication of eyes and gestures of players.
- Exercise develops and boosts your brain and you feel more relaxed and stress free.
- Hockey teaches you the co-ordination between body and mind, and decision making quickly.
Conclusion
Hockey is beautiful and full with team spirit game of world, and consider as national game of India. India is still indebted of hockey to make it the star in the sight of world and feel proud. Now for hockey there is quite lack of interest among youngsters, cricket is known by every single child of every street, but not hockey, it is a nice game with lot of entertainment and adventure but still not accepted by many of us. It is responsibility of everyone that we must do efforts for teaching children about the game and for once again take back that golden period to India. Parents, teachers and also government must do some efforts for our national game Hockey.
