Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905 – 3 December 1979) was an Indian

hockey player and one of the greatest hockey players in the history of

the sport.[4] He was known for his extraordinary goal-scoring feats, in
addition to earning three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932 and 1936,
during an era where India dominated field hockey. His influence
extended beyond these victories, as India won the field hockey event in
seven out of eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964. It is believed that after
India defeated Germany in the 1936 Olympics final 8-1, Adolf
Hitler offered him a senior post in the German Army, to which Chand
refused.[5]
Known as The Wizard[6][7] or The Magician[8][9] of hockey for his superb ball
control, Chand played internationally from 1926 to 1949; he scored 570
goals in 185 matches according to his autobiography, Goal.
[10]
 The Government of India awarded Chand India's third highest civilian
honour of Padma Bhushan in 1956.[11] His birthday, 29 August, is
celebrated as National Sports Day in India every year.
Early life[edit]
Dhyan Chand was born in Allahabad on August 29, 1905 in
a Rajput family.[12] He was the elder brother of another hockey
player Roop Singh, and the son of Sharadha Singh[citation needed] and
Sameshwar Singh.[13] Dhyan Chand's father was enlisted in the British
Indian Army, and he played hockey for the army. Dhyan Chand had two
brothers – Mool Singh and Roop Singh. Because of his father's
numerous army transfers, the family had to move to different cities and
as such Chand had to terminate his education after only six years of
schooling. The family finally settled in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Dhyanchand graduated from Victoria College, Gwalior in 1932. Being in
the military, his father got a small piece of land for a house.
Young Chand had no serious inclination towards sports, though he loved
wrestling. He stated that he did not remember whether he played any
hockey worth mentioning before he joined the Army, though he said that
he occasionally indulged in casual games in Jhansi with his friends.[14]
The Hindi word Chand literally means the moon. Since Dhyan Singh
used to practice a lot during the night after his duty hours, he used to
wait for the moon to come out so that the visibility in the field (during his
era there were no flood lights) improved. He was hence called "Chand",
by his fellow players, as his practice sessions at night invariably
coincided with the coming out of the moon.
Manpreet Singh (field hockey)
Manpreet Singh Pawar (born 26 June 1992) is an Indian field hockey player and the captain
[1][2]
of India men's national field hockey team since May 2017. He plays as a halfback.
He first played for India in 2011 at the age of 19. He represented India at the 2012 Summer
[3]
Olympics and was named Asia's Junior Player of the Year in 2014.  He was named in the
Indian squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Early and personal life[edit]

Manpreet Singh was born in a farming family in Mithapur village on
outskirts of Jalandhar city of Punjab in India. Manpreet is engaged with a
Malaysian Illi Najwa Saddique of Pakistani descent. He first met her
when the team featured in the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2013 where Indian
team won the Gold Medal.[4]
Before the game he focuses and relaxes by meditating with yoga,
playing PlayStation and by listening to the Punjabi Bhangra
music specially by Diljit Dosanjh and Honey Singh. He carries his
PlayStation with him whenever he travels for matches[5]. He is a fan
of Salman Khan and enjoys watching movies of sports genre, such
as M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chak De! India and Bhaag Milkha
Bhaag, and he would love to try acting in movies if offered a role.[4]
His big dream is to "win big for India" and biggest goal is to "inspire
youngsters to play a sport, any sport".[4]
Sports career[edit]
He was inspired by the former Indian hockey captain Padam Shri Pargat
Singh, who also hails from Manpreet's Mithapur village. He was further
attracted by the prizes his elder brothers won while playing hockey.
Around 2002, he started to play hockey regularly at the age of 10 when
his mother locked him in room to prevent him from playing hockey and
after he escaped the room his coach told his angry elder brother to at
least let him try since he was so keen to play, family started to support
him completely after he won his first prize of INR500 cash (US$12 per
2002 conversion rate) in a tournament. In 2005, he enrolled in India's
one of the most sought-after Surjit Hockey Academy of Jalandhar. In
2011, he made his international debut as part of Indian junior team. He
idolises former German captain Moritz Fürste and is inspired by Sardar
Singh style of play. He is also a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo and David
Beckham, and just like them he also wears the same jersey number 7.[4]
Rupinder Pal Singh
Rupinder Pal Singh (born 11 November 1990) is a professional field hockey player, who
currently represents India in the Indian Hockey Team. He plays as a fullback and is known for his
[1]
abilities as one of the best drag flickers in the world.  He represented India in the 2014
Commonwealth Games at Glasgow, 2014 Asian Games at Incheon, 2016 Olympic Games held
at Rio de Janeiro, and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, held at Gold Coast, Australia.

Rupinder Pal Singh was born in a Sikh family in Faridkot, Punjab, India.

The six- plus-footer, is the youngest of the family, who took up hockey at
the age of eleven. He is related to international hockey player, Gagan
Ajit Singh. His interest in hockey got a boost when got selected for the
Chandigarh Hockey Academy.
Career[edit]
Singh's international debut was in May 2010 in Sultan Azlan Shah
Cup in Ipoh. His side went on to win the 2010 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
[2]
 The following year, Rupinder scored his first international Hat-
trick against Great Britain[3] in the 2011 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. In the
same tournament, Singh won the Top-scorer Award and was named in
the Sultan Azlan Shah XI Team. At the 2014 Men's Hockey World Cup,
Rupinder was named as the team's Vice-captain.[4]
Hockey India League[edit]
Rupinder was bought by the Delhi franchise for a hefty sum. The Delhi
team was named Delhi Waveriders.[5] During an interview, Rupinder was
quoted saying "“I was surprised when the Delhi side picked me up for
such a huge amount, but the tournament gave me a good platform to
hone my skills, spending time with players like Sardar Singh and Nicolas
Jacobi made me improve my game a lot and it showed in my
performance, Even though we lost to Ranchi in the final,the team had a
good run in the tournament". He proved his worth scoring seven goals
for the team,which finished second in the league. In the Second season,
Rupinder's side won the 2014 Hockey India League,[6] with Singh scoring
7 goals. Rupinder was declared the Player of the Tournament at
the 2016 Hockey India League, and due to his significant contributions,
Delhi Waveriders went on to secure the 3rd position at the HIL that year.
In 2017, he captained the Delhi Waveriders, taking the team to the semi-
final stage.
Akashdeep Singh
Akashdeep Singh (born 2 December 1994) is an Indian
professional field hockey player who plays as a forward for Uttar
Pradesh Wizards in the Hockey India League and the India hockey
team.

Career[edit]
Born in Verowal, Tarn Taran district Punjab, Singh started to play
hockey in secondary school before joining the Guru Angad Dev Sports
[1]
Club.  He then joined the PAU Hockey Academy in Ludhiana in 2006
[1]
before joining the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar.  In 2013, Singh
was auctioned to the Delhi Waveriders of the Hockey India League.
[2]
 After three seasons with Delhi, Singh was signed by the Uttar
[3] [4]
Pradesh Wizards for $84,000.  

International[edit]
Singh was the captain of the youth India hockey sides and has
[1]
represented India senior side.  He Played Olympics 2016 in Rio . He
made 33 international goals. Singh has represented India in the 2018
Commonwealth Games. At the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, he was
[5]
awarded the player of the tournament award.
Akashdeep Singh is an Indian professional field hockey player
who plays as a forward for Uttar Pradesh Wizards in the
Hockey India League and the India hockey team. Wikipedia
Born: 2 December 1994 (age 24 years), Vairowal Tam Taran
Height: 1.78 m
Weight: 70 kg
Teammates: Harmanpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, MORE
Olympic medal: Field hockey at the 2018 Asian Games –
Men's tournament
Field hockey pitch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Standard pitch measurements. The field of play is 91.4 by 55.0

metres (100 yd × 60 yd) with an area of 5,027 square metres
(1.24 acres).
A hockey pitch is the playing surface for the game of field hockey. Historically, the game was
played on natural turf (grass) but nowadays it is predominantly played on an artificial turf. The
transition onto artificial pitches came during the 1970s and was made mandatory for major
competitions in 1976. All the lines, markings and goal specifications are outlined by
the International Hockey Federation in "The Rules of Hockey".
All line markings on the pitch form part of the area which they define. For example, a ball on the
side line is still in the field of play; a ball on the line of the penalty circle is in the penalty circle; a
foul committed over the 23-metre (25-yard) line has occurred in the 23-metre area. A ball must
completely cross a boundary line to be out of play, and a ball must wholly cross the goal line
before a goal is scored.
Due to the original formulation of the rules in England, the standard dimensions of a hockey pitch
were originally expressed in imperial units. The rules are now expressed explicitly in metric
dimensions (since 1998), although the use of the imperial terms remains common in some
countries.

Contents
Field of play[edit]

Coloured pitches are used to distinguish the field of play (green)

from the run-off (red).
The hockey pitch is rectangular in shape. The longer perimeter edges are called the side line, the
opposing shorter edges are referred toe back line and the portion of this between the goal posts
is known as the goal line. The side line must measure 91.40 m (100 yd) and the back line should
measure 55.00 m (60 yd). There must be a minimum run-off of 2 m at the sidelines and 3 m at
the backlines which may be a different surface for the final metre. All line markings must be white
and 75 millimetres wide. In each corner of the pitch, a corner flag of no more than 300 mm
[1][2]
square is attached to a post of height 1.20–1.50 m.
Historically, the pitch dimensions were imperial and were replaced by metric equivalents in 1998.
The first recorded rules represented what London clubs were using at the time. Surbiton Hockey
Club's minutes from 1876 stated that pitches were to be "100–150 yards (91–137 m) long and
50–80 yards (46–73 m) wide". Rules by the Hockey Association of England in 1886 specified
[3][4]
"100 yards long by 55 to 60 yards (50 to 55 m) wide".  In 1905, the International Rules
Board allowed the width of the pitch to be "up to 66 yards (60 m)" but this decision was reversed
[5] [3][4]
in 1909.  In 1975, the current width of 60 yards was written into the rules.
On artificial surfaces, the field of play should be coloured green, ultramarine blue or signal blue. It
[6]
is permitted for the run-off portion of the pitch to be an alternative colour.  The London 2012
Olympics started a new trend for blue hockey pitches, because blue turf helps television viewers
to clearly see the ball and markings on the hockey pitch during gameplay. Not all hockey pitches
have to be blue, but a yellow ball on blue turf is now the standard for professional field hockey
[7]
tournaments. 

Goal[edit]
A hockey goal at the 1960 Summer Olympics. The goal is deeper
at ground level with side and backboards around the base.
Goals consist of two upright posts placed equidistant from the centre of the backline, joined at
the top by a horizontal crossbar. The inner edges of the posts must be 3.66 metres (4 yd) apart,
and the lower edge of the crossbar must be 2.14 metres (7 ft) above the ground. The goalposts
and crossbar must be white and rectangular in shape with width 50 millimetres (2 in) and a depth
of 50 to 75 millimetres (2 to 3 in).
The goal must be at least 1.20 m deep at ground level and at least 0.90 m deep at crossbar
level. The goal area must be delimited at ground level by a goal backboard and two sideboards
of height 460 millimetres (18 in). Affixed to these boards, the posts and crossbar is a net to stop
[8]
the ball.
Hockey nets can come in different dimensions depending on how deep at ground level and at
crossbar level the goal is. Typical dimensions for a standard field hockey net are around 3.7m
[7]
(W) x 2.1m (H) x 1.2m (D). 
The first hockey goals were "7 feet (2.1 m) tall posts placed 6 yards (5.5 m) apart" but were
reduced to 4 yards (3.7 m) apart in the 1886 rules. In 1987, a rule was introduced so that
at penalty corners "the first hit at goal should not cross the goal-line higher than 18 inches
(460 mm)". This saw the introduction of a sideboard and backboard to the goals which are now
[3][4]
mandatory.

Circle[edit]
A goal is scored when the ball passes completely over the goal line but only if the ball was
played by an offensive player in the penalty circle. Additionally, the circle marks the area a
goalkeeper may play the ball with any part of his body and the area where an infringement by a
defender results in a penalty corner. The terminology circle (or D) is widely used although the
area is actually formed by a 3.66-metre (4 yd) straight line, parallel to the goal line, connected to
[9][10]
two 14.63-metre (16 yd) quadrant arcs.
The 1876 rules stated that "no goals shall be allowed if the ball be hit from a distance of more
than 15 yards (14 m) from the nearest goalpost". A visible "striking circle" with "radius of
[3][4]
15 yards" was codified in 1886.  The radius of the circle was increased to 16 yards (15 m) in
[5]
1951 for men's hockey and 1968 for women's hockey.  Any free-hit within 5 m of the circle has
slightly different rules from others concerning other players’ distance; a broken circle 5 m from
[10]
the penalty circle denotes this location.
A penalty spot is centrally positioned directly in front of the goal and used for a penalty stroke.
The spot is 150 mm in diameter and its centre is 6.475 m from the outside of the goal line.
[10] [3]
 Penalty strokes were introduced in 1963 for deliberately stopping a certain goal;  they were
originally taken 8 yards (7.3 m) from goal. In 1973, a stroke could also be awarded for a
deliberate foul in the circle and the spot was moved to 7 yards (6.4 m) from goal the following
[5]
year.

Etymology
The first recorded use of the word hockey is in the 1773
book Juvenile Sports and Pastimes, to Which Are Prefixed,
Memoirs of the Author: Including a New Mode of Infant
Education by Richard Johnson (Pseud. Master Michel Angelo),
whose chapter XI was titled "New Improvements on the Game
of Hockey".[2] The belief that hockey was mentioned in a 1363
proclamation by King Edward III of England[3] is based on
modern translations of the proclamation, which was originally in
Latin and explicitly forbade the games "Pilam Manualem,
Pedivam, & Bacularem: & ad Canibucam & Gallorum Pugnam".
[4][5]
 The English historian and biographer John Strype did not
use the word "hockey" when he translated the proclamation in
1720, instead translating "Canibucam" as "Cambuck";[6] this
may have referred to either an early form of hockey or a game
more similar to golf or croquet.[7]
The word hockey itself is of unknown origin. One supposition is
that it is a derivative of hoquet, a Middle French word for
a shepherd's stave.[8] The curved, or "hooked" ends of the sticks
used for hockey would indeed have resembled these staves.
Another supposition derives from the known use of cork bungs,
(stoppers) in place of wooden balls to play the game. The
stoppers came from barrels containing "hock" ale, also called
"hocky".[9]
History

bas relief approx. 600 BC, in the National Archaeological Museum of

Athens

Games played with curved sticks and a ball can be found in the

histories of many cultures. In Egypt, 4000-year-old carvings
feature teams with sticks and a projectile, hurling dates to
before 1272 BC in Ireland, and there is a depiction from
approximately 600 BC in Ancient Greece, where the game may
have been called kerētízein or (κερητίζειν) because it was
played with a horn or horn-like stick (kéras, κέρας).[10] In Inner
Mongolia, the Daur people have been playing beikou, a game
similar to modern field hockey, for about 1,000 years.[11]
Most evidence of hockey-like games during the Middle Ages is
found in legislation concerning sports and games.
The Galway Statute enacted in Ireland in 1527 banned certain
types of ball games, including games using "hooked" (written
"hockie", similar to "hooky") sticks.[12]