Field hockey: India and the major tournaments: notes for bank exams

At a glance

Field hockey is the sport in which India has won the most Olympic gold medals: eight, between 1928 and 1980. The sport is governed worldwide by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and in India by Hockey India. In 2026 India won both the men's and women's golds at the Asian Games, and the men are defending champions at the Asian Champions Trophy.

Key facts

World body: International Hockey Federation (FIH), founded 1924 in Paris; HQ Lausanne, Switzerland
FIH president: Tayyab Ikram (since 2022)
Asian body: Asian Hockey Federation
National federation: Hockey India (formed 2009), HQ New Delhi
India men's Olympic golds (8): 1928, 1932, 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1964, 1980
Other men's Olympic medals: silver 1960; bronze 1968, 1972, 2020 (Tokyo), 2024 (Paris)
Men's World Cup title: 1975 (Kuala Lumpur), India's only one
Men's Asian Games golds (5): 1966, 1998, 2014, 2022, 2026
Men's Asia Cup titles (4): 2003, 2007, 2017, 2025
Men's Asian Champions Trophy titles (5, a record): 2011, 2016, 2018 (shared), 2023, 2024
Men's captain: Harmanpreet Singh; head coach: Craig Fulton
Women's captain: Salima Tete

How it works

Major tournaments.

Tournament	Organiser	Frequency	Note
Olympic Games	IOC/FIH	Every 4 years	Next: Los Angeles 2028
Hockey World Cup	FIH	Every 4 years	Men's 2026 in Belgium and the Netherlands
FIH Pro League	FIH	Annual	Top national teams play home and away
Asian Games	OCA	Every 4 years	Gold gives direct Olympic qualification
Asia Cup	Asian Hockey Federation	About every 4 years	Winner qualifies for the World Cup
Asian Champions Trophy	Asian Hockey Federation	Usually annual	Top Asian teams

India women. Asian Games gold in 1982 (New Delhi) and 2026 (Aichi-Nagoya); Asia Cup titles in 2004 and 2017; Women's Asian Champions Trophy titles in 2016, 2023 and 2024; Commonwealth Games gold in 2002 (Manchester); best Olympic finish fourth (1980 and 2020).

Legends and honours. Major Dhyan Chand's birthday, 29 August, is National Sports Day, and India's highest sports award is the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (renamed in 2021).

Recent developments

27 Oct 2026: Men's Asian Champions Trophy begins at Jalandhar (league stage) with knockouts in Mohali and the final on 5 November; six teams, with Bangladesh replacing Pakistan; India are defending champions.
3 Oct 2026: India's men beat Malaysia 5–1 to retain the Asian Games title (fifth gold); on 2 October the women beat China 1–0 for their first Asiad gold since 1982. Both teams qualified for LA 2028.
Aug 2026: India's men finished eighth at the FIH World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands, losing the 7th–8th place match to Belgium in a shootout.
7 Sep 2025: India's men won their fourth Asia Cup, beating South Korea 4–1 in the final at Rajgir, Bihar, and qualified for the 2026 World Cup.

Exam traps

India has no officially declared "national game"; the government has said so in reply to RTI queries, even though hockey is often called one.
India's only men's World Cup win is 1975; the 1980 Moscow gold is the last Olympic gold.
FIH is headquartered in Lausanne, but it was founded in Paris (1924).
The 2026 Asian Games were held in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan; the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy was in Chennai and the 2024 edition in Hulunbuir, China.

Quick check

Q: How many Olympic gold medals has India won in men's hockey? A: Eight.
Q: Where is the FIH headquartered? A: Lausanne, Switzerland.
Q: Who won the 2025 men's Asia Cup? A: India, beating South Korea 4–1 at Rajgir.

Sources

In the news

Every time this topic has appeared in our current affairs, newest first:

26 October 2026Men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey begins in Jalandhar
Week of 1–7 October 2026Hockey double: India's men and women both win Asian Games gold