India and Pakistan jointly initiated the move to have a hockey competition at world level outside the Olympic tournament. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) approved the holding of such games and the World Cup Hockey Tournament thus started from  1971.

Pakistan donated a trophy for this competition. The gold and silver trophy comprises a silver cup, carrying an intricate floral design, surmounted by a globe in silver and gold depicting the world, carrying on top of it a ball and hockey stick, perfect in design and symmetry. The current value of  the  trophy could  be  in the region of Rs  20,00,000.

Spain hosted the inaugural World Cup Hockey Tournament in Barcelona in 1971. Ten nations qualified for the competition which was spread over ten days (October 15-24). The semi-finals were played in Tarrasa, the birth place of Spanish Hockey. Pakistan  emerged as the champions with a one-nil victory over Spain, who beat them 3-2 in a pool match India won the bronze medal.

The  Second World Cup  was held  in Amsterdam from August 24 to September 2, 1973. Hosts Holland prevailed over two-up India in the tie-breaker of an exciting final. West Germany beat Pakis­tan by a solitary goal to finish third.

India was originally scheduled to host the Third Cup in Bombay in 1975. But the FIH, at its meeting in Cannes (France), decided to shift the venue to Kuala Lumpur. Skipper Ajitpal Singh master­ minded a memorable rally for one-down India to triumph over Pakistan by  the odd goal of three in a  nail-biting  final that was a real hockey classic.

The host nation does not automatically qualify for the World Cup. A concession was made in the case of Argentina and the Fourth World Cup in Buenos Aires in 1977 was enlarged to include fourteen nations. India fared disastrously and finished sixth. Pakistan regained the gold medal. Holland took the silver and Australia the bronze.

The first nine teams in Buenos Aires automatically qualified for the Fifth World Cup to be staged in Bombay from December 29, 1981 to January 12, 1982. The first three nations in the Inter-Continent Cup, held in Kuala Lumpur earlier in the year, made up the twelve participants. They are  the  USSR,  Malaysia and New Zealand, Olympic Champions in Montreal in 1976.

The World Cup is now held every four years. The FIH has  decided  that  in future the first six teams in the previous World Cup will automatically qualify for the next competition. The remaining, places will be filled by the first six teams in the Inter-Continent Cup.

The  twelve  participating  nations  are split into two  pools. The pool matches are played  on a league basis. The winners and  runners-up of each pool meet in cross playoffs in the semi-finals. The winners battle for the gold; the losers for the bronze. Cross play-offs in groups of four determine the  minor placings.

Indian P & T Department is privileged to issue a postage stamp to commemorate this event.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India