One of the most traditional sports in the Olympic programme, hockey will mark its 24^th championship at the Rio 2016 Games. The sport, which made its debut in the London 1908 Games and has only been absent from seven editions of the competition, will have the opportunity of establishing itself in a new continent thanks to the first Games to be held in South America. Of the 18 countries that have made it to the podium in Olympic hockey competitions, only one is South American: Argentina. Its women’s national team has won two silver and two bronze medals.

“The celebration of the Olympic Games in South America will have a great impact across the continent and will be a big boost not only for hockey, but for all sports in the region”, says Argentine Luciana Aymar, holder of four Olympic medals and voted best player in the world eight times.

The origins of the sport go back to antiquity. Historical records show that a rudimentary form of the sport was played in Egypt 4000 years ago, in Ethiopia around the year 1000BC, and subsequently by the Romans, Greeks and Aztecs. The sport’s modern form originated in English schools in the mid-eighteenth century. Not coincidentally, Great Britain won the gold medal in the first two Olympic Games to feature hockey, only for men's teams: London 1908 and Antwerp 1920. The third title came eighty years after the first in Seoul 1988.

Tradition spread to the British colonies, allowing India and Pakistan to excel in the sport. The Indians made history with eight gold medals, six of them in a row, between 1928 and 1956; their other victories came in 1964 and 1980. Three-time Olympic champions Pakistan made it to the top of the podium in 1960, 1968 and 1984.

Most recently, the Europeans have dominated the sport. Germany and the Netherlands have won five of the last six gold medals. The Germans, four-time champions, with victories in 1972, 1992, 2008 and 2012, will try for their third title in a row at the 2016 Games. The Netherlands claimed gold in 1996 and 2000. New Zealand’s victory in 1976 and Australia’s in 2004 complete the list of men’s Olympic champions.

The only South American Olympic medallist country to date, Argentina’s women's team celebrate silver in London (Photo: Getty Images / Mike Hewitt)

Women only entered the Olympic competition at the Moscow 1980 Games. Since then, the Netherlands and Australia, both three-time champions, have been contesting dominance in the sport. The Dutch women will arrive in Rio 2016 having won in 2008 and 2012, in addition to their victory in 1984. Australia won gold in 1988, 1996 and 2000. Zimbabwe, 1980 champion, Spain, which took gold in 1992, and Germany, 2004 winner, are also former women’s Olympic champions.

Understand the rules

Hockey matches are played by teams of 11 players, on a pitch of 91.4 by 55 metres. Using sticks made of carbon fibre, Kevlar and fibreglass, players attempt to score goals, which are only valid if struck from within the marked shooting circle, a radius of 14.63 m drawn from the midpoint of the end line toward the centre of the pitch.

Each team has a goalkeeper, who tries to defend the goal, measuring 2.14m long by 3.66m wide. The ball is made of plastic and cork, weighs about 160g is 3cm in diameter.