The India men's national field hockey team represents

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

in international

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shootin ...

competitions, and is governed by

Hockey India Hockey India plans, directs and conducts all the activities for both men and women hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Govt. of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting Hockey in India. It w ...

. The team was formerly under the control of

Indian Hockey Federation The Indian Hockey Federation was the Indian branch of the International Hockey Federation. Background It was the apex governing body of field hockey in India. It was formed on 7 November 1925 in Gwalior. It was the first non-European team to ...

. India was the first non-European team to be a part of the

International Hockey Federation The Fédération Internationale de Hockey (English: International Hockey Federation), commonly known by the acronym FIH, is the international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey. Its headquarters are in Lausanne, Switzerland. ...

. In 1928, the team won its first

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

gold medal and until 1960, the Indian men's team remained unbeaten in the Olympics, winning six gold medals in a row. The team had a 30–0 winning streak during this time, from their first game in 1928 until the 1960 gold medal final which they lost. India also won the

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...

1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...

. India's hockey team is the most successful team ever in the Olympics, having won a total of eight gold medals – in 1928, 1932,

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

1948 Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...

, 1952,

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, are kille ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...

and 1980. India also has the best overall performance in Olympic history with 83 victories out of the 134 matches played. They have also scored more goals in the Olympics than any other team. They are also the only team ever to win the Olympics without conceding a single goal, having done so in 1928 and 1956. The men in blues are also one of the most successful teams in

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...

. They have won the

Asian Games The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation (AGF) from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until th ...

three times – in

1966 Events January * January 1 – In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa takes over as military ruler of the Central African Republic, ousting President David Dacko. * January 3 – 1966 Upper Voltan coup d'état: President Maurice Yaméogo is ...

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

and

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

. India came out on top in the

Asia Cup The Asian Cricket Council Asia Cup is a men's One Day International and Twenty20 International cricket tournament. It was established in 1983 when the Asian Cricket Council was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. ...

2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, disintegrated during reentry into Atmosphere of Earth, Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an 2002– ...

2007 File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto ...

and in

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

. India has won 43 out of 56 matches in the Asia Cup and holds the records for most wins and best winning percentage in the competition. They are also the most successful team in the

Asian Champions Trophy Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from ...

, winning the competition three times – in 2011, 2016 and in

2018 File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...

. In total, India has won 27 official international titles. India is known to have an intense rivalry with

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

, with whom they have played in the finals of major tournaments like Olympics, World Cup, Asian Games and Asia Cup. India also have a unique record of beating Pakistan in the finals of all these tournaments.

History

Golden years (1928–1959)

India participated at the Olympics for the first time in 1928. In the group stage, India beat

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

6–0,

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...

9–0 and Switzerland 5–0 without conceding a single goal. They defeated

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

3–0 in the finals under the captaincy of

Jaipal Singh Munda Jaipal Singh Munda (3 January 1903 – 20 March 1970) was an Indian politician, writer, and sportsman. He was the member of the Constituent Assembly which debated on the new Constitution of the Indian Union. He captained the Indian field hockey ...

. India then went on to successfully defend their title at the 1932 Olympics with a 11–1 win over Japan and 24–1 win over USA, in the match against United States Dhyan Chand hit 8 goals and

Roop Singh Roop Singh Bais (8 September 1908 – 16 December 1977) was an Indian hockey player. He was part of the Indian field hockey team, which won gold medals for India at the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games. He was the younger brother of Dhyan Chand ...

scored 10 goals, This is still the largest margin of victory ever in the Olympic games even after all these years. India went on to win their third straight title at the

1936 Olympics 1936 Olympics may refer to: *The 1936 Winter Olympics, which were held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany *The 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI ...

, this time captained by legendary player Dhyan Chand himself. India stormed through the group stage by winning against Japan 9–0,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

4–0 and United States 7–0. In the semi-finals they defeated

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

10–0. The team went on to face

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

in the final. The match was won by India 8–1, it was the only goal India conceded in the whole competition and it still remains the biggest winning margin in an Olympic final. The Indian hockey team that won three successive Olympic titles is often regarded as one of the greatest ever team to play the sport. Indian hockey team Vs Berlin Silberschild Eleven

Indian hockey team Vs Berlin Silberschild Eleven

The

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

caused the cancellation of 1940 and 1944 Olympics, which ended the era of a team that dominated world hockey. In the

1948 Olympics 1948 Olympics may refer to: *The 1948 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an internation ...

India was placed in group A and won all the three games, an 8–0 win over Austria,

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

9–1 and

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

2–0. In the final India went on to face

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

, it was the first time India faced them. Great British team has already won the gold medal in 1908 and 1920, so this match was billed as battle of Champions and eventually India won the match 4–0. The result was a sweet one for India, which gained independence from Britain just a year ago. This win is often regarded as the greatest ever moment of Indian field hockey and also all of Indian sports. India went on to win 2 further gold medals in 1952 and

, preserving its record as the most successful and dominant team at that time in the Olympics. In 1952 Olympics quarter-finals India won against Austria 4–0, Great Britain 3–1 in Semi-final and thumped Netherlands by the score of 6–1. The match is famous for the 5 goal magical performance of

Balbir Singh Sr. Balbir Singh Dosanjh (31 December 1923 – 25 May 2020) was an Indian hockey player and coach. He was a three-time Olympic gold medallist, having played a key role in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) (as vice captain), and Mel ...

,which is an Olympic record that still stands today. In the 1956 Olympics India defeated

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

14–0, United States 16–0 and

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

6–0 in group stage. India defeated Germany 1–0 in semi-final. In the final India faced

and won the match 1–0, which was the beginning of the biggest rivalry in field hockey. India and Pakistan again met each other in

1958 Asian Games The 1958 Asian Games, officially the Third Asian Games ( ja, 第3回アジア競技大会) and commonly known as Tokyo 1958, was a multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan, from 24 May to 1 June 1958. It was governed by the Asian Games Federation. A ...

and this time the match ended in a 0–0 draw. India also defeated Japan 8–0, South Korea 2–1 and Malaysia 6–0. But Pakistan claimed gold medal in the Asian Games by better average. It was the first time India finished runners-up in an international competition.

Last years of dominance (1960–1980)

At the

1960 Olympics The 1960 Olympics may refer to: *The 1960 Winter Olympics, which were held in Squaw Valley, United States *The 1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympi ...

India started its campaign by winning against Denmark 10–0, and Netherlands 4–1, New Zealand 3–0. India defeated Australia and Great Britain in quarter-finals and semi-finals respectively. In the final it was the beginning of a new era, for the first time India lost a match at the Olympics, 0–1 loss to Pakistan in the final which ended India's streak of six successive gold medals and 30 matches unbeaten run. Two years later India went on to win another silver medal at the

1962 Asian Games The 1962 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 1962) also known as the 4th Asian Games, IV Asiad, and Jakarta 1962, was the fourth edition of pan-Asian multi-sport event sanctioned by the Asian Games Federation (AGF). The games were held from 24 Au ...

. India returned strongly at the

1964 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and commonly known as Tokyo 1964 ( ja, 東京1964), were an international multi-sport event held from 10 to 24 October 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo had been awarded the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this hon ...

by registering wins against Hong Kong, Belgium, Netherlands, Malaysia and Canada and drawing with Spain and Germany. In the Semi-finals India defeated Australia 3–1, and they won against Pakistan in the final to take their seventh gold medal at the games and also went on to capture their first gold medal in

1966 Asian Games The 1966 Asian Games (), also known as the V Asiad, were a continental multi-sport event that was held from 9 to 20 December 1966, in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 142 events in 16 sports were contested by athletes during the games. Taiwan and Is ...

by defeating Pakistan again in the final. At the 1968 Mexico Olympics India started with a loss against New Zealand but won all of their remaining 6 matches against West Germany, Japan, Spain,

Mexico Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guate ...

, East Germany, Belgium but India went to a new low, for the first time as they were defeated in the semi-final by Australia but they successfully claimed the bronze medal by beating

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

. At the

1972 Olympics 1972 Olympics refers to both: *1972 Winter Olympics, which were held in Sapporo, Japan *1972 Summer Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and commonly known as Munich 1972 (german: München 19 ...

also the result was same India started brightly by defeating Great Britain, Australia,

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

, New Zealand and Mexico but drew with Netherlands and Poland. They were defeated in the semi-finals by Pakistan. In the Third-place match India defeated the Netherlands to claim bronze medal. India won the bronze medal at the 1971 World Cup by virtue of a win over

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

. In the

1973 World Cup The 1973 World Cup took place 22–25 November at the Club de Golf Nueva Andalucía in Marbella, Spain. The name of the club was later changed to Real Club de Golf Las Brisas. It was the 21st World Cup event. The tournament was a 72-hole stroke ...

India defeated Pakistan in semi-finals, but lost to Netherlands in the final in penalty shoot-out after the match ended in a 2–2 draw. But in the 1975 World Cup India defeated Malaysia in the semi-final before beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the final to claim their first title.In the 1976 Olympics astro-turf hockey pitch was introduced, India struggled to maintain their dominance like they did on grass fields and for the first time ever returned home empty handed. The 1980 Olympics was held in Moscow, India started their campaign with an 18–0 win over

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

followed by a 2–2 draw with

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is divided into Voivodeships of Poland, sixteen voivodeships and is the fifth most populous member state of the European Union (EU), with over 38 mill ...

and Spain which were followed by a resounding win over

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

with a margin of 13–0 and win over

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

by a scoreline of 4–2. India later won the gold medal for a record eighth time by defeating Spain in the final by the score of 4–3.

Decline (1981–1997)

After the 1980 Olympics success India's performance declined and the following decades resulted in a lot of ups and downs for the national team. As the team failed to win any medal in the World cup or Olympics, but continued to be a top team in Asia and went on to win several medals in continental competitions. The

1982 World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup was the 12th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in Spain between 13 June and 11 July 1982. The tournament was won by Italy, who defeated West Germany 3–1 ...

was hosted by India and they finished at 5th position. The team lost to Pakistan in both

1982 Asian Games The 9th Asian Games ( hi, 1982 एशियाई खेल) were held from 19 November to 4 December 1982, in Delhi, India. 74 Asian and Asian Games records were broken at the event. This was also the first Asiad to be held under the aegis of t ...

final and the inaugural Asia Cup final held in

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former ...

.India ended the 80s by winning bronze medal at the

1986 Asian Games The 1986 Asian Games ( ko, 1986년 아시아 경기대회/1986년 아시안 게임, Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Cheon gubaek palsip-yuk nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 10th Asian Games and the X Asiad ( ko, 제10� ...

and 1982 Champions Trophy and silver medals at the 1985 Asia Cup and 1989 Asia Cup. Their only gold medal success in a big tournament came in the

1985 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup The 1985 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was the second edition of field hockey tournament the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Participating nations Six countries participated in the 1985 tournament: * * * * * * Results Pool A Fixtures Pool B Fixtu ...

. India also went on to win 1991 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and reached finals of 1994 Asia Cup but lost to

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

in the final. But India later went on to win the

1995 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup The 1995 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was the sixth edition of field hockey tournament the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Participating nations Six countries participated in the tournament: * * * * * * Final ranking *This ranking does not reflect the actual pe ...

Resurgence (1998–2012)

India won their first continental title after 32 years at the

1998 Asian Games The 1998 Asian Games (), officially known as the 13th Asian Games and the XIII Asiad, was an Asian multi-sport event celebrated in Bangkok, Thailand from December 6 to 20, 1998, with 377 events in 36 sports and disciplines participated by 6,554 ...

by defeating

. The team finished 4th at the

1998 Commonwealth Games The 1998 Commonwealth Games ''(Malay language, Malay: Sukan Komanwel 1998)'', officially known as the XVI Commonwealth Games ''(Malay: Sukan Komanwel ke-16)'', was a multi-sport event held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This edition is marked by sev ...

. They ended the decade by collecting bronze medal at the 1999 Asia Cup. India started the new millennium by winning the inaugural hockey champions challenge defeating

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

in the final. In

India won their first ever

title by defeating Pakistan in the final. The same year India also clinched the first and only Afro-Asian Games title by defeating Pakistan again in the final. For the First time in their history the team did not win a medal at the Asian Games as they finished fifth at the

2006 Asian Games 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

, but India defended their title successfully in the Asia Cup by winning the 2007 Asia Cup. In the final the team conveniently beat South Korea 7–2. It was in 2007 the team slumped to its lowest ever ranking of 12 in FIH World Rankings. India failed to qualify for

2008 Beijing Games The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

for the first time. The next Asia Cup tournament in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

proved to be disastrous as the team finished 5th and failed to get any medals. The first time that happened. But the team regained momentum after winning the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and also became the joint winners in the

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

edition. In the

2010 World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

, which was hosted in India, and the team finished on 8th position. In the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...

which was again hosted by India, the national team reached the final where they were defeated 0–8 by Australia in the final, the biggest defeat India ever suffered. India became the first ever champions of the

after they beat Pakistan in the final of the 2011 edition. In 2012 the team finished last at the Olympics as they lost all their matches, it was disappointing given the fact that they are the most successful team ever at the Olympics. India also finished as runners-up at the 2012 Asian Champions Trophy.

2013–present (Olympic comeback)

After the disappointment in Olympics India played at the 2013 Asian Champions Trophy but could only finish at 5th place. The

2014 Asian Games The 2014 Asian Games ( ko, 2014년 아시아 경기대회/2014년 아시안 게임, Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheon sip-sa nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the 17th Asian Games ( ko, 제17회 아시아 경기대회/제17회 ...

became the turning point as the team defeated Pakistan to win their 3rd gold medal. In 2014–15 Hockey World League India won the bronze medal by beating Netherlands. The team reached the finals of

2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy The 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy was the 36th edition of the Hockey Champions Trophy for men. It was held between 10 and 17 June 2016 in London, United Kingdom. Australia won the tournament for a record fourteenth time after defeating India ...

but lost to Australia in penalty shootout. But bounced back by winning Asian Champions Trophy in 2016 Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan and 2017 Asia Cup by defeating Malaysia. The team also won bronze medal at the 2016–17 Hockey World League by defeating Germany 2–1. The

Asian Games proved little disappointing as India was the defending champions as well as the favorites to win but was surprised by Malaysia in semi-final. They later won bronze medal by defeating Pakistan 2–1. The team returned strongly by winning 2018 Asian Champions Trophy and collecting a gold medal at the

2018–19 Men's Hockey Series The 2018–19 Men's Hockey Series was the inaugural season of the Hockey Series, a field hockey championship for men's national teams. The tournament started in June 2018 and finished in June 2019. Format The Hockey Series was open to all natio ...

. India played as hosts in the 2018 Hockey World Cup and reached the quarter-finals but lost to Netherlands. Indian team won bronze in

2020 Tokyo Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the List of Olympic Games h ...

after defeating Germany 5–4. This was a historic win as the Indian Hockey team won a medal in Olympics after a gap of 41 years.

Gallery

File:Indian hockey team 1928 Olympics match.jpg, Match of the Indian team at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. File:Indian hockey team 1932 Olympics match.jpg, Match of India against United States at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. File:Indian-Hockey-Team-Berlin-1936.jpg, The Indian team that won the gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. File:Hockey Final—India v. Great Britain at the Empire Stadium, Wembley, Thursday, August 12th. India scoring her third goal.png, India scoring their third goal against Britain at the 1948 London Olympic final. File:The Indian hockey team poses before the XXIV Olympic Games, Seoul.jpg, Indian team in 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. File:Hockey india.jpg, Indian hockey team in 2000s. File:Team India FIH Series finals.jpg, India after winning FIH Hockey Series. File:Indian Hockey team.jpg, Indian field hockey team in 2010s.

Competitive record

Summer Olympics

World Cup

Asian Games

Asia Cup

Asian Champions Trophy

Commonwealth Games

Pro League

Other tournaments

Sultan Azlan Shah Cup

South Asian Games

Defunct competitions

World League

Champions Trophy

Champions Challenge

Hockey Series

Afro-Asian Games

Western Asiatic Games

Results and fixtures

2022

2023

Players

Current squad

The following 18 players were named for the 2023 FIH Hockey World Cup. ''Caps updated as of 4 December 2022, after the match against Australia.''

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up for the national team in the last 12 months.

Support staff

*Head coach: Graham Reid *Analytical coach: Gregg Clark *Assistant coach: Shivendra Singh

Notable former players

* Dhyan Chand *

K. D. Singh Kunwar Digvijay Singh (2 February 1922 – 27 March 1978), popularly known as "Babu", was an Indian field hockey player. He was born in Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh. He is widely known for his mesmerising passing ability and is considered by ...

Kishan Lal Kishan Lal (2 February 1917 – 23 June 1980) was an Indian field hockey player. He captained the Indian hockey team in 1948, which won its first gold at the Olympics as an independent country, defeating Great Britain in the final, 4–0 ...

* Richard Allen * Joseph Galibardy *

Earnest Goodsir-Cullen Earnest John Goodsir-Cullen (15 July 1912 – December 1993) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. In 1936, he was a member of the Indian field hockey team, which won the gold medal in Berlin. He ...

William Goodsir-Cullen William James Goodsir-Cullen (29 March 1907 in Firozpur – 15 June 1994 in Wyoming, New South Wales, Australia) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the Indian field hockey team, ...

* Peter Fernandes * Leslie Claudius *

Raghbir Singh Bhola Raghbir Singh Bhola (18 August 1927 – 21 January 2019) was an Indian Airforce Officer and international hockey player who represented India in the 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics, winning a gold and silver medal respectively for t ...

Baboo Nimal Baburao Narasappa "Baboo" Nimal (15 March 1908 – 21 February 1998) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the ...

* Hiranna M. Nimal * Prithipal Singh *

Balbir Singh, Sr. Balbir Singh Dosanjh (31 December 1923 – 25 May 2020) was an Indian hockey player and coach. He was a three-time Olympic gold medallist, having played a key role in India's wins in London (1948), Helsinki (1952) (as vice captain), and Mel ...

Udham Singh Udham Singh (born Sher Singh; 26 December 1899 — 31 July 1940) was an Indian revolutionary belonging to Ghadar Party and HSRA, best known for assassinating Michael O'Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of the Punjab in India, on 13 Ma ...

* Charanjit Singh * Shankar Lakshman * Jaman Lal Sharma *

M. P. Ganesh Mollera Poovaiah Ganesh (born 8 July 1946) is a former Indian professional field hockey player and coach. He was also the captain and coach of the Indian team. He was awarded the Arjuna Award in 1973. He was the head coach of the India hockey ...

Ashok Kumar Kumudlal Ganguly (13 October 1911 – 10 December 2001), better known by his stage name Ashok Kumar and also by Dadamoni, was an Indian actor who attained iconic status in Indian cinema and who was a member of the cinematic Ganguly family. He ...

* Mohammed Shahid * Mohammed Riaz *

Cyril Michie Cyril James Michie (20 August 1900 – 10 November 1966) was an Indian field hockey player who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games ...

* Ajit Pal Singh * Balbir Singh Kullar *

Merwyn Fernandes Mervyn Fernandis (born 12 April 1959) is a former Indian hockey player. Mervyn played for the famous Indian Airlines hockey team in the 1970s. His name become synonymous with Indian hockey. He was a consistent performer for the Indian team. Me ...

* Satbir Singh *

Surjit Singh Sardar Surjit Singh Randhawa (10 October 1951 – 6 January 1984) was an Indian field hockey player, who played for India men's national field hockey team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He was a full back and captain of India field hockey te ...

B. P. Govinda Billimoga Puttaswamy Govinda (born 4 March 1951) was an Indian field hockey player who played as a forward, and a former captain of the Indian national team. Career Govinda was considered one of the fastest hockey players during his time and w ...

* Zafar Iqbal *

Marcellus Gomes Marcellus Gomes (born 16 January 1961) is an Indian field hockey player. He competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city ...

* Jagbir Singh *

Thoiba Singh Kshetrimayum Thoiba Singh (born 1 December 1955) is an Indian field hockey player, who represented India at the Olympics and Asian Games. He played as a left-winger and was known for his speed and stamina. Today he coaches the Imphal Rangers, h ...

M. M. Somaya Maneyapanda Muthanna Somaya (born 8 May 1959) is a former Indian field hockey player and was employed with Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd. As a field hockey player, he was captain of the Indian national team and played as a halfback. He played in 3 ...

Vasudevan Baskaran Vasudevan Baskaran (born 17 August 1950) is a former field hockey player and coach from Tamil Nadu, India. He captained the India, which won the gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, then part of the Soviet Union. Thereafter ...

* Jalaluddin Rizvi *

Pargat Singh Pargat Singh (born 5 March 1965) is a hockey player turned politician in India and belongs to the Indian National Congress in Punjab. He is a former Indian hockey player and his playing position was full back. He captained Indian men's hocke ...

* Dhanraj Pillay * Jude Menezes * Jugraj Singh * Viren Rasquinha *

Ignace Tirkey Ignacious "Ignace" Tirkey is an Indian field Hockey player. He plays as a Fullback and has captained the Indian team. He also serves the Madras Engineering Group (Madras Sappers corps of engineers) Indian army as a commissioned officer. He h ...

Adam Sinclair Adam Antony Sinclair (born 29 February 1984) is an Indian field hockey player and athlete from Tamil Nadu. Among other leading sporting events he was a member of the Indian field hockey team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and at the 20 ...

* Mukesh Kumar * Arjun Halappa * Len Aiyappa * Devesh Chauhan * Adrian D'Souza * Gagan Ajit Singh *

Deepak Thakur Deepak Thakur Sonkhla (popularly known as Deepak Thakur) is a hockey forward in Indian team. Family Thakur's father is an ex-serviceman and his mother a house-wife. His younger sister is a national badminton player. Career Junior level Tha ...

* Prabhjot Singh * Bimal Lakra *

Aslam Sher Khan Aslam Sher Khan (born 15 July 1953) is an Indian hockey player and a former member of the Indian team. In the 1975 World Cup held at Kuala Lumpur, Aslam Sher Khan helped Indian Hockey Team to win the gold medal. He was also a member of t ...

* Ghulam Moinuddin Khanji * Baljit Singh Dhillon * Bharat Chettri * Harbinder Singh * Sandeep Singh * Sardara Singh * Dilip Tirkey * S. V. Sunil * Danish Mujtaba * Rupinder Pal Singh

References

External links

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FIH profile
{{Navboxes , title = Titles , bg = gold , list1 = {{Summer Olympics field hockey men's tournament winners {{FIH Men's Hockey World Cup winners {{Asian Games field hockey men's tournament winners {{Men's AHF Hockey Asia Cup winners {{Men's AHF Asian Champions Trophy winners 1 Asian men's national field hockey teams