Men's Champions Trophy Hockey Trivia

The FIH Champions Trophy got underway in the Pakistani city of Lahore in 1978 with the hosts clinching the crown much to the joy of their home fans. This premier tourney has seen 35 editions with Australia winning it 13 times. India will have a lot to look forward to following back-to-back semifinal appearances in 2012 and 2014 at Melbourne and Bhubaneshwar. Even as the 36th edition of the Champions Trophy gets underway in London on Friday, let us take a close look at this high-profile event from the statistical point of view.

1. Pakistan had hosted the first three editions of the Men Champions Trophy – in its inaugural year in 1978, 1980 and 1981
2. India’s best performance at the Champions Trophy was at the 1982 edition in Amstelveen, where they finished third
3. Australia have won the Champions Trophy on most occasions – 13 times – they have also been runners-up on most occasions – 10 times
4. Out of the 35 Men Champions Trophy Tourneys, India have participated in only 14 editions – 1980 (Karachi), 1982 (Amstelveen), 1983 (Karachi), 1985 (Perth), 1986 (Karachi), 1989 (Berlin), 1995 (Berlin), 1996 (Chennai), 2002 (Cologne), 2003 (Amstelveen), 2004 (Lahore), 2005 (Chennai), 2012 (Melbourne), 2014 (Bhubaneshwar)
5. Karachi had hosted the Men Champions Trophy five of the first seven editions – it also holds the record for being the host city on most occasions – six times
6. Rajinder Singh scored India’s only hat-trick in the Men Champions Trophy at the 1982 edition in Amstelveen, where India beat Pakistan 5-4 after trailing 0-3 in the first seventeen minutes of play
7. Thoiba Singh scored many goals for India but he would cherish even today is the match-winner against arch-rivals Pakistan at the 1986 edition at Karachi. India twice led but Pakistan rallied to make it 2-2 before Thoiba struck the match-winner
8. Pargat Singh did something which at times is hard to believe – India trailed Germany 1-5 at the 1985 edition in Perth – but Pargat scored four goals in the final six minutes to script a famous 5-5 draw
9. The Netherlands have finished third in Champions Trophy on most occasions – 8 times
10. Pakistan won the inaugural edition as well as the second edition of the Champions Trophy but haven’t won it since clinching the 1994 edition in Lahore
11. Spain have won the Champions Trophy only once – at the 2004 edition in Lahore it beat the Netherlands 4-2 to corner glory India’s 1-7 defeat to Pakistan in the final of the 1982 Asian Games is well known – at the 1980 Champions Trophy in Karachi, Pakistan inflicted equally heavy defeat on India drubbing them 7-1
12. Great Britain have never won the Champions Trophy but reached the finals twice in 1985 and 2010 and both times losing to Australia in the final
13. Pakistan became the first host nation to win the Champions Trophy in 1978 at Lahore and later became the first country to win back-to-back titles as host nation in 1980 at Karachi
14. Australia have won the Champions Trophy as host nation on most occasions – five times – 1986, 1990, 1999, 2009, 2012
15. India’s Champions Trophy appearance in Melbourne in 2012 was their first win in seven years – they had last played in the 2005 edition in Chennai – earlier also India did not play Champions Trophy from 1990 to 1995 and from 1997 to 2002
16. India’s 3-2 win over the Netherlands at the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneshwar was their first over the Dutch in 18 years since the 1986 edition in Karachi, where India won 3-2
17. Australia and the Netherlands have won the Champions Trophy at the same city on three occasions – Melbourne (1990, 2009, 2012) and Amstelveen (1982, 2000, 2003)
18. European nations have dominated the Champions Trophy – they have won 32 of the 35 editions with the Asian nation winning it thrice via Pakistan
19. India’s biggest win in Champions Trophy was a 7-4 win over Pakistan at the 2003 edition in Amstelveen
20. South Korea’s lone final appearance at the Champions Trophy was at the 1999 edition in Brisbane, where they lost to Australia 1-3 in the final
21. A massive controversy erupted after Pakistan beat India 4-3 in the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneshwar – with Pakistan indulging in unbecoming behavior prompting FIH to ban Muhammad Tauseek and Amjad Ali from the final vs Germany
22. Pakistan have hosted the Men’s Champions Trophy most times – 11 times – Karachi six times and Lahore 5 times
23. India have lost in bronze medal play-off matches on two consecutive occasions – lost 2-3 and 1-2 to Pakistan and Australia at the 2012 and 2014 editions