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. 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.
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. 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.
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.
League structure The current league structure consists of the First Division which has two groups played across two tiers at the senior level. 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. 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.
Calcutta Hockey LeagueTierDivisionIFirst Division Group AIIFirst Division Group BIIISecond DivisionIVThird Division
Venue The matches are held at SAI Sports Complex at Salt Lake Stadium, Mohun Bagan Ground and East Bengal Ground.
Results The results of the Calcutta Hockey League: YearWinner1905B.E. College Sibpur1906B.E. College Sibpur1907B.E. College Sibpur1908Calcutta Customs1909Calcutta Customs1910Calcutta Customs1911B.E. College Sibpur1912Calcutta Customs1913Calcutta Customs1914Calcutta Rangers1915Calcutta Rangers1916Calcutta Rangers1917Calcutta Rangers1918Military Medicals1919Greer SC1920B.E. College Sibpur1921Calcutta Customs1922Calcutta Customs1923Greer SC1924Xaverians1925Xaverians1926Calcutta Customs1927Calcutta Customs1928Calcutta Rangers1929Calcutta Rangers1930Calcutta Customs1931Calcutta Customs1932Calcutta Customs1933Calcutta Customs1934Calcutta Rangers1935Mohun Bagan1936Calcutta Customs1937Calcutta Customs1938Calcutta Customs1939Calcutta Customs1940B G Press1941Police AC1942Port Commissioners1943Calcutta Rangers1944Port Commissioners1945Mohammedan Sporting1946Port Commissioners1947Not held due to Partition1948Port Commissioners1949Port Commissioners1950Calcutta Customs1951Mohun Bagan1952Mohun Bagan1953Bhowanipore1954Bhowanipore1955Mohun Bagan1956Mohun Bagan1957Mohun Bagan1958Mohun Bagan1959Mohammedan Sporting1960East Bengal1961Calcutta Customs and East Bengal - joint winners1962Mohun Bagan1963Calcutta Customs1964East Bengal1965Bengal Nagpur Railway1966Bengal Nagpur Railway1967Bengal Nagpur Railway1968East Bengal1969Mohun Bagan1970Mohun Bagan1971Mohun Bagan1972Mohun Bagan1973East Bengal1974Mohun Bagan1975Mohun Bagan1976East Bengal1977Mohun Bagan1978Mohun Bagan1979East Bengal1980Mohun Bagan1981Mohun Bagan1982Eastern Railway1983MMC1984MMC1985CESC1986Mohun Bagan1987Mohun Bagan1988Mohun Bagan1989East Bengal1990FCI1991FCI1992FCI1993CESC1994Bengal Nagpur Railway1995Mohun Bagan1996Calcutta Customs1997Mohun Bagan1998Mohun Bagan1999Mohun Bagan2000SAI Training Center2001CESC2002CESC2003Calcutta Customs2004CESC2005CC&FC2006CESC2007CESC2008Punjab SC2009CESC2010Punjab SC2011Punjab SC2012Punjab SC2013CC&FC2014CC&FC2015CESC2016Punjab SC2017Eastern Railway2018Eastern Railway2019CESC2020Not held due to COVID-19 pandemic2021Punjab SC2022East Bengal2023Mohun Bagan2024East Bengal2025Mohun Bagan
See also
Field hockey in India
References
Further reading (Published online: "Routledge Contemporary South Asia"; 1 July 2010).
External links Calcutta Hockey League