In this Indian ‘mecca’ of field hockey, memories of the sport’s former glory still burns bright

In India, field hockey was once the country’s pride and joy, winning six consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1928 to 1956. But an inability to adapt to changes in the game led to a decline in the sport’s popularity since the 1980s. The northern Indian village of Sansarpur, which was the cradle of the sport, produced no less than 14 Olympians. Today, it is nurturing a new generation of talent that two former hockey players hope might one day restore the game to its former glory in the country.