Impress your friends

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  The first record of the sport is from Ancient Egypt, 4000 years ago

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  The first recorded club was the Blackheath Hockey Club, formed in Britain in 1861

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  Pakistan’s men defeated India 1-0 in the final of the Rome 1960 Games, ending India’s 32-year run as Olympic champions

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  The Zimbabwe team took the first gold when the women's game debuted at the Moscow 1980 Games

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  At the London 2012 Games, the Dutch women became three-time Olympic champions, beating Argentina in the final

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  India’s men won six consecutive Olympic titles between 1928 and 1956, remaining undefeated for 30 matches, and scoring 197 goals along the way

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  Argentina is the only South American country to have won an Olympic medal in hockey, their women’s team having claimed two silvers and two bronzes

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  Hockey is the only team sport to have had Olympic medal-winners from every continent

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  Until 1970, Olympic hockey matches were played on grass. The switch to synthetic surfaces made the game faster

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  The match format has been changed for Rio 2016, with four quarters of 15 minutes replacing the two 35-minute halves used at London 2012