500+ Words Essay on Hockey
Hockey is one of the oldest and most popular team sports. Hockey is believed to have been in existence about 1200 years before the Ancient Games of Olympia. This game is played in most countries of the world. In India, hockey was introduced by the British Army regiments, and soon it became popular. The Indian Hockey team has won a total of eight gold medals, one silver and three bronze medals in the Olympics. This essay on hockey will help students to understand the sport. Also, they get to know the rules for playing this sport. They can also go through the CBSE Essays to get the list of essay topics. It helps them in improving their writing skills, and they can score good marks in the writing section of the English exam.
History of Hockey
The Hockey Association was founded in 1886. The first international tournament took place in 1895, and the International Rules Board was founded in 1900. The International Hockey Federation is the global governing body of field hockey, founded on 7th January 1924 in Paris. The Federation of International Hockey (FIH) not only regulates the sport but is also responsible for its development and promotion so as to guarantee a secure future for hockey. The FIH retains overall responsibility for hockey worldwide, including the rules of hockey, umpiring and coaching.
The British brought the hockey game to India. The first hockey club was formed in Kolkata in 1885. The Indian hockey team won the first Olympic gold in 1928 at the Amsterdam Games. They made their Olympic debut without conceding a single goal. The credit for this win goes to the legend Dhyan Chand, who stole the heart of everyone with his dazzling skills. It was the golden era of Indian hockey when India produced some of the finest players in hockey.
How to Play Hockey?
The rules set by the International Hockey Federation FIH are used worldwide to play hockey games. Hockey is played between two teams of 11 players each, including a goalkeeper. Before starting the game, a coin is tossed between the captains of the two teams. The team captain that wins the toss has to choose the starting end or start with the ball. The game time is divided into four quarters of 15 minutes each, 15-02-15-10-15-2-15. At the start of each quarter, as well as after goals are scored, the match is started with a pass from the centre of the field.
Field players may only play the ball with the flat side of the stick. Tackling is permitted as long as the tackler does not make contact with the attacker or his stick before playing the ball. Further, the player is not allowed to deliberately use his body or stick to shield the ball from a legitimate tackle. A goal is scored when an attacker strikes the ball into the goal from within the striking circle, even if the ball touches the defender and goes into the goal.
When the ball passes over the sidelines, it is returned to play from the sideline either by an individual player by himself or with a push or hit, taken by a member of the team whose players were not the last to touch the ball before crossing the sideline. If it crosses the goal line after being last touched by an attacker, a 15-metre hit or pass can be made by any player in the defending team. A 15-metre hit is also awarded for offences committed by the attacking side within 15 metres of the end of the pitch they are attacking.
National Sports Day of India
The National Sports Day in India is celebrated on 29th August to commemorate Major Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary. In 2012, the Government of India designated 29th August as the country’s “National Sports Day”. On this occasion, the President of India gives out all the sports-related awards like Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award and Rajiv Khel Ratna Award. It is done to honour sportspersons and coaches who have made the nation proud with their service in their respective sports.
Conclusion
Hockey is a popular and interesting sport. But still, in India, it has not got much attention. There are very few people who have a passion for hockey and would like to be a part of the Indian hockey team. The Government of India should give more facilities and pay more attention to promoting hockey. It should be included in Physical Education, and proper coaching should be provided so students can start playing hockey at the school level.
Students must have found this essay on hockey useful for improving their essay-writing skills. They can get the study material and the latest updates on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.
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