About Hockey
Hockey is the oldest known ball and stick game. Records exist of it having been played in Persia in 2000 BC. In medieval Europe, pictures of men playing a game with hooked sticks appear on stained-glass windows at both the Canterbury and Gloucester cathedrals. It became so popular by the Middle Ages that it was banned in England for a time because if interfered with the practice of archery, which was the basis for national defense. The name hockey probably derives from the French hocquet, or shepherd’s crook, and refers to the crooked stick.
India dominated the sport for three decades, winning all six Olympic gold medals and 30 consecutive games from 1928 to 1956. The first Balbir Singh, who was followed by four more players of the same name who also played for victorious Indian teams, scored five goals in a 6-1 gold medal victory over the Netherlands in Helsinki in 1952.
Hockey Basics
Men's event: Teams will be placed into two pools of six for the preliminary rounds. Each team play the other teams in that pool. The top two teams in each pool proceed to the semi-finals. The remaining teams play classification matches for places 5 - 12. Semi-final winners play for the gold and silver medals. Semi-final losers play for the bronze.
Women's event: Teams will be placed into two pools of five for the preliminary rounds. Each team play the other teams in that pool. The top two teams in each pool proceed to the semi-finals. The remaining teams play classification matches for places 5 - 10. Semi-final winners play for the gold and silver medals. Semi-finals losers play for the bronze.