Hockey

Sydney, Olympic Park, 29 September 2000, Games of the XXVII Olympiad: Rechelle HAWKES of Australia battling with Ayelen STEPNIK of Argentina (n°6) during the hockey final. Australia went on to win the gold medal.

Hockey is the oldest known ball and stick game. Records exist of it having been played in Persia in 2000 BC. The name hockey probably derives from the French hocquet, or shepherd's crook, and refers to the crooked stick which is used to hit a small ball. The game became more organised late in the 19th century and became an Olympic sport in 1908.

Until the 1970s, the game at international level was mainly played on natural grass, but has become an even more exciting and Skilful 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.

奥运会曲棍球发展史

        曲棍球是较早进入奥运会的项目之一。1908年，男子曲棍球被列入第4届伦敦奥运会比赛项目，但在1912年斯德哥尔摩奥运会上，曲棍球项目被排除在外。

　　1920年的安特卫普奥运会上，曲棍球又重新回到奥运赛场上。在1924年的巴黎奥运会上，巴黎奥运会的组织者以曲棍球运动没有统一的国际组织为由拒绝接受。从1928年阿姆斯特丹举行的第9届奥运会起，曲棍球成为常设比赛项目。

　　女子曲棍球项目在1980年第22届莫斯科奥运会才开始增设。