This paper tries to probe into many intricate questions regarding the hockey career of India. The previous works mainly deal with the golden years of Indian hockey when India was supreme in the hockey field. But in my paper, I will try to show how the game hockey created a national identity among the Indians and what factors helped hockey in being the national game of India where football and cricket was also popular.
The first section of the paper will deal with the birth of hockey in India and its journey to the international sports field. In this section I will discuss which factors made hockey the ‘golden game’ of India. What held the hockey group together which lacked in the other team sports and the American influence in Indian hockey.
In this section we will discuss how hockey helped in creating a national identity for the Indians. The seed of nationalism started growing among Indian hockey players and there were several instances which showed that this game helped them create a national identity. This section will try to uphold these instances where a colonized nation could create an identity due to a game.
While it was the British who helped spread hockey in India, they were not present when the Indians won their first gold medal. Several Indian newspapers documented this incident and it is very interesting to see the reaction of the colonizers. In this section we will discuss that in detail. In the concluding section we will deal with the factors which led to the deterioration of Indian hockey and why slowly cricket became more popular than it.
Table of Contents
I. BIRTH OF THE NATIONAL GAME
II. India within the 5 rings
III. Indian Hockey as seen by the World
IV. Downfall of Indian Hockey
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores the historical trajectory of Indian hockey between 1928 and 1980, examining its role in fostering a national identity during the colonial era and its subsequent decline in international prominence. It investigates the transition of Indian sporting obsession from hockey to cricket, analyzing the cultural, technological, and administrative factors that contributed to this shift.
- The origins and development of hockey in British India.
- India's era of supremacy in Olympic hockey.
- Global recognition and the creation of an Indian sporting identity.
- Factors contributing to the decline of Indian hockey performance.
- The rise of cricket as the dominant national passion in India.
Excerpt from the Book
I. BIRTH OF THE NATIONAL GAME
‘India claims to be the foremost in many things in the world. The world admits that she is foremost in hockey’.2
Hockey, like all modern sports, had been taken to India by the British and became a Popular Sport in the Indian army much encouraged by the British officers in charge. Dhyan Chand, the ‘Bradman of hockey’ and its greatest ever player, was introduced to the game while serving the army. It was in the army that he was ordered to tour with India to New Zealand for a hockey tournament.3
The first introduction of hockey had been taken place in colonial Calcutta. As Calcutta was then the capital city of British India most of the colonial sports were introduced in the city. Similarly like football, at the initial stage hockey was also restricted within the European and Anglo-Indian community. From the military camps it had spread among the European civilians who started taking interest in organizing the hockey matches in other parts of the city in regular basis. But still it did not gain overwhelming popularity among the native Bengali masses like the game of football. The complex rules and costly equipments necessary for the game retained its popularity within the European community in the Initial stage but later with the passage of time hockey also began to be popular among the Indians.4 The regular organisation of hockey matches in Calcutta led the situation for the rise of competitive measures of the game. Therefore the first hockey club was established in 1885-86 by the white lords. But this club failed to exist for a long time and thus soon was disbanded.5 Even it was in Calcutta that the idea to form an all-India Hockey Association was first made in 1907 or 1908. But the plan didn't work out. But later it was in Gwalior that an Indian Hockey Association was formed.6
Summary of Chapters
I. BIRTH OF THE NATIONAL GAME: This chapter traces the introduction of hockey to India by the British and the subsequent formation of the Indian Hockey Federation, highlighting its early popularity and international tours.
II. India within the 5 rings: This section analyzes India's dominant performance in Olympic hockey, identifying the physical, environmental, and socio-administrative factors that facilitated this success.
III. Indian Hockey as seen by the World: This chapter examines the global reputation of Indian hockey and the identification of the nation as a premier hockey power during the mid-20th century.
IV. Downfall of Indian Hockey: This chapter discusses the decline of Indian hockey due to rule changes, lack of infrastructure, and internal politics, leading to a shift in national interest toward cricket.
Keywords
hockey, nationalism, Olympics, Identity, Cricket, Dhyan Chand, British India, Indian Hockey Federation, sports history, international competition, colonial sports, physical fitness, sporting decline, cultural identity, television.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper examines the history of Indian hockey from 1928 to 1980, focusing on its role in building national identity and its eventual decline in favor of cricket.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include colonial influence on sports, the rise of an Indian national identity through hockey, global sporting achievements, and the socio-economic factors behind the shift to cricket.
What is the main objective of this study?
The objective is to trace the history of Indian hockey's global success, analyze the creation of an Indian identity through the sport, and discuss its subsequent decline and the rise of cricket.
What research methodology is employed?
The paper utilizes a historical analysis, drawing on archival records, autobiographies, scholarly articles, and contemporary sports reporting to document the evolution of Indian hockey.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The body covers the inception of hockey in colonial India, the Olympic success phases, international recognition of Indian players, the various reasons for the sport's deterioration, and the rise of cricket in the media age.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as hockey, nationalism, Olympics, identity, cricket, Dhyan Chand, and the impact of globalization on local sports.
Why did Dhyan Chand express despair about Indian hockey in his later years?
Dhyan Chand was frustrated by a lack of discipline and hard work among the newer generation of players, as well as systemic issues like poor team selection and lack of planning.
How did the introduction of synthetic turf impact Indian hockey?
The transition from natural grass to mandatory synthetic astroturf for international tournaments disadvantaged Indian players, whose skills were traditionally honed on grass and suited a different style of play.
What role did television play in the shift from hockey to cricket?
The growth of television and media commercialization favored cricket due to its format, which allowed for more advertising and sponsorship opportunities, whereas hockey administrators were slow to adapt to these changes.
- Citar trabajo
- Basudhita Basu (Autor), 2015, Sports and national identity. A brief history of Indian hockey 1928 - 1980, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/308557
