The game of Hockey is played extensively in India. There are a large number of teams that play Hockey in India and they take part in various Hockey tournaments, at both the national and regional levels. The Indian Hockey teams can be classified in various ways like the National Senior Hockey team, the National Junior Hockey team, the Indian Women`s Hockey team, the Indian State Hockey teams, the club teams, various Services teams etc. Among such a variety of Indian Hockey teams, the teams patronised and maintained by different Services like Banks, Railways, Air India, Electricity Board, etc are probably the highest.
Almost all the Indian States have their own Hockey teams that play in the National level tournaments, organised by various organisations. The Indian State Hockey teams are mainly patronised by the State Hockey associations that operate under the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF). Some of the popular Indian state Hockey teams include the Tamil Nadu XI, the Hyderabad XI, the Karnataka XI, the Bengal XI, the Mumbai XI, the Bhopal XI, the Panposh XI, etc. The teams participate and compete with all the other teams in various tournaments, held in India.
As told earlier, the highest number of Indian Hockey teams is those patronised and managed by different Services or corporate houses. Such teams are entirely run and managed by their respective owners and they compete with the Indian State Hockey teams and the other teams in different national level tournaments. Some of the famous and prestigious Services teams include the Madras Engineering Group and Centre (MEG), Bangaluru; the Punjab and Sind Bank, BPCL, IOC, Punjab National Bank, PSEB, Patiala; COE, Patiala; Canara Bank, Bangaluru; Indian Bank; Sukhjit Starch Mill; etc.
There are a large number of Indian Hockey teams that are being patronised and managed by various Government organisations. The teams also compete in various national level tournaments, along with the other Services or State Hockey teams. Some of the Indian Hockey teams being run by Government organisations include Air India, Mumbai; Central Railway, Western Railway, Northern Railway, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala; Indian Air Force, Central Industrial Security Force; BSF, Jalandhar; Bharat Petroleum, Mumbai; IndianOil, Mumbai; Punjab Police, Jalandhar; South Central Railways; Indian Airlines; Sikh Regimental Centre; Central Reserve Police Force; Army XI; Punjab Police; Indian Navy; Corps of Signals, Jallandhur; CRPF; India Coach Factory (ICF); Oil & Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) XI; Patiala and Ropar Hawks; Chief Post Master General (CPMG); Madhya Pradesh Police; BSF; CISF; Haryana XI; SAIL; Police Range, Ludhiana; East Coast Railway; Signals; EME; IHF Juniors; etc.
Apart from the Indian State Hockey teams, Services Hockey teams and the teams managed by Government organisations, there are also some other Hockey teams in India. These Indian Hockey teams are run and managed by different Hockey clubs, private organisations or educational institutions. These Hockey teams include the Chandigarh Hockey Academy; DAV Hockey Academy; Punjabi University; Town Hall Club, Shahjahanpur; Amrawati XI; Meerut Hostel XI; Escorts Ramesh Chander Academy; Bhaini Sahib; Mehta Academy; Sports School, Jalandhar; Namdhari XI; Green Chillies, Nabha; ASC, Jalandhar; FCI, Delhi; MEG, Bangaluru; UP Meerut XI; Air India Hockey Academy, etc.
