If you’re looking for a sport to play in the 2020 Olympics, you’re in luck. Hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world, and it’s now available to you in the form of field hockey. The only thing you need is a ball and some sticks.
While the traditional alpine variant of hockey still enjoys immense popularity in its native Northern Europe, the game has seen a massive worldwide boom in recent decades. Thanks to the development of mini-sticks and balls that can be carried in one hand – as well as the increased availability of ice-skating rinks – people across the globe are enjoying ice hockey as never before. And since the Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo in a couple of years, it’s a perfect opportunity for you to be one of the select few people who witness this exciting sport live.
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Why Is Field Hockey Popular?
There’s a reason why the International Ice Hockey Federation lists field hockey among the Summer Olympics sports: it’s incredibly popular. And not just in the frozen north either, as the number of fields across the globe has increased in recent years. It’s a great all-around sport that can be played by people of all ages and genders. No wonder FIFA, the governing body of the world’s most popular sport, has decided to include it in the upcoming Olympics.
Traditional hockey in Europe remains a massive sport, with over a billion players around the world. And with the Winter Olympics coming up, it’s a great opportunity for fans of the sport to witness some of the world’s best players on the pitch. While this variant of hockey still enjoys immense popularity, particularly in the northern regions of Europe, ice hockey has developed far beyond its original hockey roots and has become a truly international sport. The increased globalization of the sport has led to the development of new variants such as field hockey that are now open to players worldwide. There are over 250 million people playing hockey around the world, with the Olympic sport attracting a massive pool of fans.
Popularity Worldwide
The popularity of field hockey isn’t just restricted to big countries either. The sport is now played by people from all around the globe. Thanks to the increased globalization of sport in general, and the rise of social media in particular, people are now able to connect with sports in a way that wasn’t possible just a few years ago. This has enabled star hockey players to achieve superstitions and fandom all over the world. Argentina, which last hosted the Olympics in 2018, holds the record for the largest social media following in sports, with over 800,000 people sharing content related to the national team on Instagram. And it’s not just limited to football either, with people in New York City enjoying a form of hockey called street hockey thanks to the city’s incredible athletic community. Street hockey has been around for centuries, with kids in the city playing the game in the early morning hours before going to school. Thanks to renewed interest in the sport in 2020, street hockey has become available to more and more people across the city, attracting a new generation of fans to the game that is immensely popular in Canada and the United States.
Where Is Field Hockey Played?
While the International Ice Hockey Federation lists field hockey among the Summer Olympics sports, the actual game is played all year round. It’s a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, which is why it’s such a popular choice for kids’ sports days and adult recreational leagues. It’s actually one of the most popular sports globally, played in over 70 countries around the world. The most popular places to play the game are Europe and South America, with over a million players in the former and over a half a million in the latter. The game is also popular in the US, where around 300,000 people play every week.
The fact that the sport is so popular means that there’s always room for growth. As we’ve established, the world’s most populous country, China, doesn’t officially recognize the sport, with the country’s only rink only being built just last year. It’s an incredible opportunity for the country’s hockey community, which boasts over a million players, to grow its game in a sustainable manner. This is something that Chinese hockey fans can look forward to in the coming years, with large-scale organized hockey leagues set to begin in 2022. In the meantime, they will have to make do with a bare-bones setup that consists of a small pond on campus.
Playing Style
While traditional hockey focuses on strength and fitness, field hockey is all about skilled skating. It’s a sport that relies heavily on your natural athletic ability, with each goal scored requiring incredible speed and precision. This is why it’s such a popular choice for kids’ sports days and recreational leagues, where coaches look for small fry to practice their skill.
While traditional hockey is all about checking and fighting, field hockey rewards defensive play. This is a massive contrast to the conventional form of the game, which is why it’s such a popular choice for kids’ sports days and recreational leagues, where coaches look for the sport to develop strong defensive players. This will be key in keeping attacks to a minimum in future, as teams try to protect a one-goal lead at all costs.
Where Can I Watch Ice Hockey?
The most up-to-date, accurate information on the Olympics – including the complete schedule of when and where the various sports will be played – can be found at the International Olympic Committee’s website. There you can also find information on how to follow each event as it happens, as well as a live stream of the opening ceremony on August 16.
Thanks to the phenomenal growth of social media in recent years, it’s now possible to follow all the action of the Summer Olympics whether you’re in Sydney or Shanghai, as long as you have an internet connection and a Twitch account. Aside from the opportunity to follow all the Olympic excitement live, viewers can also enjoy special features on the IOC website, such as video interviews with some of the athletes and even some of the coaches. Although the interviews will be accessible only to people in the Olympic Broadcast Centre in either London or Rio de Janeiro – unless you’re a member of the media, of course – the videos will be available to everyone.
New York City
One of the most incredible things about the Summer Olympics is how much of it there is. Thanks to the advancements of modern technology, there’s a whole host of sports taking place in multiple locations around the globe. This is also true of the Summer Olympics, with people in New York City enjoying a form of hockey called street hockey thanks to the city’s incredible athletic community.
The truth is, no matter where you are in the world, you can follow the Olympic Games as they happen thanks to the incredible coverage that the internet provides. While the conventional media will enjoy a privileged position in the Olympic Broadcast Centre in either London or Rio de Janeiro, the entire world will be able to follow each and every event as it happens – regardless of whether they are taking place in Tokyo, Beijing, or some other city – thanks to the internet. So even if you’ll have to wait a few days to watch an event live, there’s no reason why you can’t catch up with the action as it unfolds.
The Future Of Field Hockey
The future of field hockey looks incredibly bright, with over a million players around the world and an opportunity for star hockey players to establish themselves as global superstitions. With the continued growth of social media, there’s no reason why this incredible sport can’t continue to enjoy mass popularity in future. And, given that the Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing in 2022, it’s an opportunity for the sport to truly come of age and for fans to witness the sport in its original form.
Field hockey has established itself as a truly international sport, played by people from all around the world. Since the Winter Olympics will be held in Beijing in 2022, it’s an opportunity for the sport to truly come of age and for fans to witness the sport in its original form.