Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometres east of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur district, North Eastern Railway Zone and Gorakhpur division. The city is home to the Gorakhnath Math, a Gorakhnath temple. The city also has had an Indian Air Force station since 1963. Gita Press, the world's largest publisher of Hindu religious texts like Ramayana and Mahabharata, has been established here since 1926.
Major Dhyan Chand was an Indian field hockey player. He is widely regarded by many as the greatest field hockey player in world history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and 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.
Events in the year 1980 in the Republic of India.
India first participated at the Olympic Games in 1900, becoming the first Asian nation to do so. Norman Pritchard represented the country and won two medals, both silver, in athletics. The nation first sent a team to the Summer Olympic Games in 1920 and has participated in every Summer Games since then. India has competed at several Winter Olympic Games after its debut in 1964.
Chak De! India is a 2007 Indian sports film directed by Shimit Amin and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner of Yash Raj Films. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, former captain of the India men's national field hockey team. After a disastrous loss to Pakistan, Khan is ostracized from the sport owing to religious prejudice. 7 years later in an attempt to redeem himself, he becomes the coach of the Indian national women's hockey team, with the goal of turning its 16 contentious players into an award-winning team.
The India men's national field hockey team represents India in international field hockey competitions. The team is governed by the association Hockey India.
India has a history of sports dating back to the Vedic period, with Western sports having been imported during British rule. Cricket is the most popular spectator sport; it generates the highest television viewership, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) being the most-followed league in the country. Football has also gained popularity, with the Indian Super League (ISL) being the highest level of domestic football, and the national team winning multiple gold medals at the Asian and South Asian Games. Additional football accomplishments include India having reached the Groupstage of the 1960 Olympics, qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and won the SAFF Championship. Other sports include kabaddi, badminton, tennis, and athletics, with kho-kho becoming the fourth-most viewed sport. India has also had success in field hockey, winning the World Cup and multiple medals in the Olympic Games. Sports such as golf, rugby, boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, motorsport, wrestling, and basketball are featured throughout the country.
Hockey India plans, directs and conducts all the activities for both men's and women's field hockey in India. It is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India as the sole body responsible towards promoting the sport. It was formed after the Indian Hockey Federation was dismissed in 2008.
Amrapali Dubey is an Indian actress who primarily works in Bhojpuri films. Considered as one of the highest paid Bhojpuri actress, Dubey is a recipient of several accolades including four Bhojpuri Film Awards and two International Bhojpuri Film Awards.
Preeti Singh is an Indian author based at Chandigarh. Singh has been working as a professional writer since last 21 years before authoring her four best-selling novels. Her debut novel - Flirting With Fate was published by Mahaveer Publishers, India in 2012, followed by Crossroads, which was published by Authors Press, India, in 2014. Her second book Crossroads has made its place in the India Book Of Records as the First Indian Fiction having real-life people as characters.
India competed at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, from 19 September to 4 October 2014. After 16 years India won the gold medal in Asian Games men's hockey tournament, and consequently earned a direct berth to the 2016 Summer Olympics hockey tournament.
Vandana Katariya is an Indian field hockey player. She plays as a forward in the Indian national team. Vandana rose to prominence in 2013, being India's top goal-scorer in the 2013 Women's Hockey Junior World Cup, where India won a bronze medal; she scored five goals in the tournament, the third by any player.
India competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 5 to 21 August 2016. Indian athletes have appeared in every edition of the Summer Olympics since 1920, although they made their official debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Savita Punia is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the India women's national team. She plays as the goalkeeper and is known as the Great Wall of India. Her performance at the 2020 Olympics is widely appreciated.
Bir Bahadur Singh Sports College, Gorakhpur is a residential sports college in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, established in 1988. It offers sports training in football, hockey, wrestling, athletics, badminton, swimming and kabaddi in 6th to 12th standard and with the curriculum of the U.P. Board. It is the second sports college established in Uttar Pradesh after Guru Gobind Singh Sports College of Lucknow and before Etawah's Saifai Sports College.
Harmanpreet Singh is an Indian field hockey player as well as the captain of the Indian national hockey team. He plays as a defender, is a penalty corner specialist, and is regarded as one of the best drag flickers in the world. He has scored the most number of international goals for India in modern day hockey. He led the team to clinch the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was his second bronze in three appearances at the Olympics. Singh also captained the team to win a gold at the 2022 Asian Games. He has won the Player of the Year title at the FIH Awards twice.
Nikki Pradhan is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the Indian national team. Pradhan was the first female Hockey player from Jharkhand who represented India in the Olympics. Pradhan was included in a 16-member squad for Rio Olympics, which also marked the return of Indian women's hockey to the Olympics after 36 years after a stellar show at the Hockey World League Semifinals in 2015. Pradhan was the midfielder of the Indian Women's Hockey team. Her selection to the team made her the sixth hockey player from Jharkhand to play in Olympics, bracketing her with Jaipal Singh Munda (1928), Michael Kido (1972), Sylvanus Dungdung (1980), Ajeet Lakra (1992) and Manohar Topno (1984).
Navjot Kaur is an Indian field hockey player. She is part of the Indian Women's Hockey team in the 2016 Summer Olympics.
India competed at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia, from 18 August to 2 September. Neeraj Chopra was the flag bearer for the opening ceremony while Rani Rampal was named as the flag bearer for the closing ceremony.
Lalremsiami Hmarzote, known mononymously as Lalremsiami, is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a forward and occasionally as a halfback for the Indian national team. At the club level, she plays for Sports Authority of India. Hmarzote was a part of the 18-member squad that represented India at the 2018 World Cup. At the Asian Games that followed, she became the first sportsperson from Mizoram to win an Asian medal after she won silver.
