Calcutta Hockey League

Calcutta Hockey League

Sport	Field hockey
Founded	1905;119 years ago (1905)
Administrator	Hockey Bengal
Country	India
Headquarters	Kolkata
Most recent champion(s)	East Bengal (10th title)
Most titles	Mohun Bagan (26 titles)
Official website	hockeybengal.org

Calcutta Hockey League is a field hockey league organized by Hockey Bengal (formerly the Bengal Hockey Association). The first edition was held in 1905. It is a division based league held at Kolkata and is the oldest field hockey league in India. ^{[1] [2]} Until the formation of the top division national leagues such as Premier Hockey League and Hockey India League post 2000s, the Calcutta Hockey League was the most competitive league in the country. ^{[3] [4]}

History

The league was first held in 1905, ten years after the initiation of Beighton Cup Tournament and three years before the formation of the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA) in 1908. ^[5] It is considered the next prominent competition to Beighton Cup in status and eminence. The First Division commenced in 1905, and later expanded to the Second Division in 1907, Third Division in 1920, Fourth Division in 1932 and Division ll - B in 1933. The competition has been held annually ever since, except the year of partition in 1947. ^[1]

The early years were dominated by the collegiate teams such as Sibpur B.E. College followed by the prominence of the Anglo-Indian club Calcutta Rangers and the Calcutta Customs throughout the 1910s and 1920s decades. The first team composed of Indian players to win the league was Greer Sporting who managed the feat in 1919. Later years and post-Independence era were dominated by the "Big Three" of Kolkata, Mohun Bagan, Mohammedan Sporting and East Bengal. ^[1]

League structure

The current league structure consists of the First Division which has two groups played across two tiers at the senior level. ^[6] The Second Division and Third Division is held at U19 and U17 level. The top six teams of First Division Group A competes for Premier Hockey League while top four teams of First Division Group B competes for Super Hockey League. ^[7] From the 2023 season, following the group stage matches, the first division teams move into Premier Hockey League and Placement rounds. The winner of Premier Hockey League round are crowned champions of the league. ^[8]

Calcutta Hockey League
Tier	Division
I	First Division Group A
II	First Division Group B
III	Second Division
IV	Third Division

Venue

The matches are held at SAI Sports Complex at Salt Lake Stadium, ^[9] Mohun Bagan Ground and East Bengal Ground.

Results

The results of the Calcutta Hockey League: ^[1]

Year	Winner
1905	B.E. College Sibpur
1906	B.E. College Sibpur
1907	B.E. College Sibpur
1908	Calcutta Customs
1909	Calcutta Customs
1910	Calcutta Customs
1911	B.E. College Sibpur
1912	Calcutta Customs
1913	Calcutta Customs
1914	Calcutta Rangers
1915	Calcutta Rangers
1916	Calcutta Rangers
1917	Calcutta Rangers
1918	Military Medicals
1919	Greer SC
1920	B.E. College Sibpur
1921	Calcutta Customs
1922	Calcutta Customs
1923	Greer SC
1924	Xaverians
1925	Xaverians
1926	Calcutta Customs
1927	Calcutta Customs
1928	Calcutta Rangers
1929	Calcutta Rangers
1930	Calcutta Customs
1931	Calcutta Customs
1932	Calcutta Customs
1933	Calcutta Customs
1934	Calcutta Rangers
1935	Mohun Bagan
1936	Calcutta Customs
1937	Calcutta Customs
1938	Calcutta Customs
1939	Calcutta Customs
1940	B G Press
1941	Police AC
1942	Port Commissioners
1943	Calcutta Rangers
1944	Port Commissioners
1945	Mohammedan Sporting
1946	Port Commissioners
1947	Not held due to Partition
1948	Port Commissioners
1949	Port Commissioners
1950	Calcutta Customs
1951	Mohun Bagan
1952	Mohun Bagan
1953	Bhowanipore
1954	Bhowanipore
1955	Mohun Bagan
1956	Mohun Bagan
1957	Mohun Bagan
1958	Mohun Bagan
1959	Mohammedan Sporting
1960	East Bengal
1961	Calcutta Customs and East Bengal - joint winners
1962	Mohun Bagan
1963	Calcutta Customs
1964	East Bengal
1965 [10]	Bengal Nagpur Railway
1966 [10]	Bengal Nagpur Railway
1967 [10]	Bengal Nagpur Railway
1968	East Bengal
1969	Mohun Bagan
1970	Mohun Bagan
1971	Mohun Bagan
1972	Mohun Bagan
1973	East Bengal
1974	Mohun Bagan
1975	Mohun Bagan
1976	East Bengal
1977	Mohun Bagan
1978	Mohun Bagan
1979	East Bengal
1980	Mohun Bagan
1981	Mohun Bagan
1982	Eastern Railway
1983	MMC
1984	MMC
1985	CESC
1986	Mohun Bagan
1987	Mohun Bagan
1988	Mohun Bagan
1989	East Bengal
1990	FCI
1991	FCI
1992	FCI
1993	CESC
1994 [11]	Bengal Nagpur Railway
1995 [12]	Mohun Bagan
1996	Calcutta Customs
1997 [12]	Mohun Bagan
1998 [12]	Mohun Bagan
1999 [12]	Mohun Bagan
2000	SAI Training Center
2001	CESC
2002	CESC
2003	Calcutta Customs
2004	CESC
2005	CC&FC
2006	CESC
2007	CESC
2008	Punjab SC
2009	CESC
2010	Punjab SC
2011	Punjab SC
2012	Punjab SC
2013	CC&FC
2014	CC&FC
2015	CESC
2016	Punjab SC
2017	Eastern Railway
2018	Eastern Railway
2019	CESC
2020	Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 [13]	Punjab SC
2022 [14]	East Bengal
2023 [15]	Mohun Bagan
2024	East Bengal

See also

• India portal
• Hockey portal

• Field hockey in India

References

1. "BIRTH AND EVOLUTION OF CALCUTTA HOCKEY LEAGUE COMPETITION (1905)". www.hockeybengal.org. Kolkata: Hockey Bengal. 2022. Archived from the original on 18 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
2. "About Us - Hockey Bengal". www.hockeybengal.org. Hockey Bengal. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
3. Basu, Jaydeep. "Keshav Dutt Tribute: Indian Hockey's Harley Riding Legend". Newsclick. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
4. Nayakan, Saba (18 November 2012). "Bengal hockey needs to get its act together". The Hindu Business Line. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
5. Mandapaka, Ravi Teja (25 October 2012). "From the Beighton and Aga Khan Cup to the HIL". Sportskeeda. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
6. "Schedule". www.hockeybengal.org. Hockey Bengal. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
7. "Hockey BengaL Events 2022" (PDF). www.hockeybengal.org. Hockey Bengal. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
8. "Hockey Bengal: Blog". hockeybengal.org. Retrieved 23 April 2024.
9. Bhaduri, Archiman (9 November 2020). "Sports Authority of India's Eastern Centre opens after seven months". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
10. "BNR RECREATION CLUB IN A NUT SHELL". BNR Club. Archived from the original on 11 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
11. "Awards". BNR Club. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2022.
12. "Trophy Room". Mohun Bagan AC. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 27 October 2022.
13. Bhattacharya, Nilesh (7 August 2021). "As hockey regains its place in the sun, Bengal experts rue lack of basic infra". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
14. "How East Bengal Won the Calcutta Premier Hockey League After 33 Years!". Hockey Passion. Archived from the original on 24 October 2022. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
15. "Mohun Bagan win Calcutta Premier League Hockey Championship". uniindia.com. Retrieved 19 March 2023.

Further reading

• Mills, Megan S. (2001). "A most remarkable community: Anglo-Indian contributions to sport in India". 10:2. Routledge. doi: 10.1080/09584930120083828 . Archived from the original on 8 November 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) (Published online: "Routledge Contemporary South Asia"; 1 July 2010).
• Roy, Mohit (31 January 2023). "আমরা হকিতেও ছিলাম, পেট্রোরসায়ন শিল্পেও ছিলাম — সবই এখন অতীত" [We were in hockey, we were in the petrochemical industry — all in the past]. anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Kolkata: Anandabazar Patrika. Archived from the original on 1 February 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.

External links

• Calcutta Hockey League