Trophy

In fact, it can be said that the hockey World Cup was instituted because of the efforts of Pakistan's Air Marshall Noor Khan and India's Jimmy Nagarwalla. The former conceptualised it while the latter, along with Pakistans A I S Dara, put forward the proposal to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

A commission of eight persons was appointed to study the feasibility of a second major international hockey event. After much thought, the FIH at its Brussels conclave on October 26, 1969 recommended a biennial tournament to be called the World Cup.

The proposal was unanimously accepted, and the commission was asked to draft the required regulations and qualification criteria. The commission's proposals adopted by the Council at a meeting in Brussels on April 12, 1970.

It was decided to hold the first ever World Cup tournament in 1971. In the meantime, Pakistan had offered to donate a trophy to the International Hockey Federation.

The magnificent ly sculpted World Cup was formally handed over to Mr Rene Frank, president of the FIH, by Mr H E Masood, Pakistan's ambassador to Belgium, at a brief ceremony in Brussels on March 27, 1971. The design, by Bashir Moojid of Pakistan, was conceived as a single piece in the form of a hockey stick, which was to be fabricated in gold and silver.

However, a theme given by Lt. General K.M.Azhar Khan, then president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, was worked upon by artisans serving in the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineers of the Pakistan army, and the trophy took its present shape.

The gold and silver World Cup trophy stands on a 120.85 mm high blade base inlaid with ivory. It comprises a silver cup carrying an intricate floral design, surmounted by a globe in silver and gold depicting the world. On top of it is a ball and hockey stick, perfect in design and symmetry.

The trophy when mounted on its ivory base stands 650 mm high and weighs 11,560 grammes.

Materials used in making the trophy include 895 grammes of gold, 6,815 grammes of silver, 350 grammes of ivory and 3,500 grammes of teak wood.

From inception till 1978 the World Cup was held every alternate year. Then it was shifted to a once in four years format, beginning with 1982 .