FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2024 Bhubaneswar- Rourkela trophy was demonstrated for Hockey Fans in New Delhi. Union Minister for Sports, Anurag Thakur, displayed it in front of the Hockey fans at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. The 1975 World Cup winners were also present on this occasion.
Table of Contents
- FIH Trophy Tour in New Delhi
- About the Trophy
- World Cup Winners of 1975
- About the Tournament
- Conclusion- The present state of Hockey
FIH Trophy Tour in New Delhi
The Hockey World Cup trophy being displayed in New Delhi is a part of the trophy tour which had begun on 5 December, 2022. The tour is being conducted to promote the tournament throughout the country.
Anurag Thakur handed over the trophy at the event to Shri Ajit Pal Singh, who was the captain of the 1975 winning team. Anurag Thakur laid emphasis on the fact that taking the trophy to different cities in India is a good way to promote the tournament. The minister lamented that the World Cup is the biggest tournament after the Olympics.
The main idea for the event was to raise awareness about the tournament that India hosts.
Ashok Dhyanchand, son of Major Dhyanchand, thanked the Hockey federation. During the event, people stood under the statue of Major Dhyanchand where the trophy became unveiled.
About the Trophy
The Hockey World cup is a piece of art. It displays a hockey stick and ball which sticks on top of an enormous globe. The trophy is carved out of Gold and Silver.
The trophy stands tall at a height of 2.1 feet and weighs around 11.56 kilograms. 895 grams of Gold, 6.8 kilograms of silver, 350 grams of ivory and 3.5 kilograms of teak is used for the construction of the trophy.
Basheer Moojid is the designer of the trophy and the actual craftsmanship is done by the Engineers Corps of the Pakistan Army.
World Cup Winners of 1975
On March 15, 1975, India beat arch rivals Pakistan in Kuala Lumpur to lift the World Cup in a thrilling last match.
The Indian hockey team created history 47 years ago in Malaysia. However, this story of history is a forgotten lore by the countrymen.
Back in 1975, there were only radios through which people would hear the commentary and jump up in joy or hold their heads when their team did not play well. Hockey was a sign of nationalism; however, it seems lost.
Hockey is the national sports of India. However, the craze for it has declined drastically. As a national sport, the trophy tour of the world cup is expected to bring about an awareness about the loss of popularity of the game.
About the Tournament
The Men’s FIH Hockey World cup tournament is an international competition where the top teams tussle for dominance. The International Hockey Federation organises it.
In 1971, the tournament started and occurs every 4 years. Pakistan has won the tournament 4 times, proving the become the most successful team. India has won the tournament once in 1975.
India will host the tournament for a successive time. In 2018, they held the tournament in Bhubaneswar. Belgium was the winners of the previous tournament defeating Netherlands in the final.
Conclusion- The present state of Hockey
Hockey is the national game of India, yet it cannot strike a chord of excitement at present. The masses are more interested in other sports and the media too cannot woo the audience with their weapons.
Sadly, the national sport stands ignored, and a revival with popularity seems to become the way forward.
Let us hope that the Hockey World cup in Rourkela is an enormous success in terms of Indian masses giving it importance. Let us embrace the national game and show the respect it deserves.
