Field hockey in India is played by the men's national team and the women's national team at the international level. Historically, both the teams are amongst the most successful Indian sports teams.
In July 2018, Indian state Odisha wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to declare field hockey as the national sport of India.[1] The state government of Odisha has been supporting India's national field hockey team from February 2018 till next five years.[2] The 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup was held in the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar between 28 November and 16 December and culminated with Belgium as World Champions defeating Netherlands in the finals. Field hockey was believed to be India's national sport but this was debunked by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, which confirmed that it had not declared any sport or game as the national sport.[3]
- ^ "Notify hockey as national game: Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik requests Narendra Modi". Deccan Chronicle. Archived from the original on 20 June 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
- ^ "Odisha to sponsor Indian hockey teams for next five years". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ "Hockey is not our national game: Ministry - Times of India". The Times of India. 2 August 2012. Archived from the original on 24 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.