We have always been very fond of sports like football, basketball, lawn tennis and of course cricket. Who doesn’t like cricket? We all do it and follow it religiously, whether it’s 20-20 or the world cup! But did we ever try to find out about our national sport, hockey? I am sure we are all aware of the fact that hockey is our national sport, but our duty does not end there. There are still a lot of people, especially the new generation, who have no idea about this sport and how it is actually played. It is high time we started exploring this game, after all, it is our national sport and we should not ignore it.
How to play hockey?
In this game, two teams are divided who play against each other. Each team has to carefully move the ball towards the opponent’s goal with the help of a hockey stick.
• Stay ready with hockey gear. Buy a beginner’s club that reaches your waist so you can learn and play comfortably.
• You must keep in mind that while playing hockey, your left hand will be the main guide for the stick and your right hand will be the main support for the stick.
• Your left foot should be pointing forward while the rest of the foot should be back for support. You will have to bend your knees to aim for the ball.
• Now all you have to do is ‘catch the ball’. Here, try to stop or slow down the pace of the ball coming towards you.
• Now it’s time to hit the ball and for that you will need to make sure that your right hand is very close to your left hand so that the ball is in direct contact with your lead foot.
• Try to bounce the ball along the stick. Try to work on the pulls and turns with the help of any member of your team.
In the end, the more you practice it, the more perfect you will be in this game. Once you learn it, you won’t want to play any other sport. All sports are interesting and fun no doubt but as Indians we should not ignore our national sport and should be equally enthusiastic and eager to learn and play it. It is one of the important things to remember.