ASIAN HOCKEY GAMES

Men's hockey was first introduced in the 1958 Tokyo Asian Games, while women's hockey debuted in the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. The gold medallist of the Asian Games hockey competition gets a direct entry into the Olympic Games. Therein lies the importance of this competition. Pakistan is the king of the Asian Games men's hockey scene. Of the 12 Asian Games hockey competitions held so far, Pakistan has won 7 gold medals. All those 7 golds came by beating India in the final! Pakistan is the only country to win back-to-back gold medals - it won 4 gold medals in a row, in 1970 (Bangkok), 1974 (Teheran), 1978 (Bangkok) and 1982 (New Delhi). In women's hockey, India had the distinction of winning the inaugural Asian Games gold medal in the 1982 New Delhi Asia South Korea has been the dominant nation in Asian Games women's hockey, winning won 4 consecutive gold medals - 1986 (Seoul), 1990 (Beijing), 1994 (Hiroshima) and 1998 (Bangkok), thus matching Pakistan's record of winning 4 consecutive gold medals (1970 - 1982) in the men's competition.