The start of 2020 was a high point for Indian hockey, marked by the men's team reaching an all-time high of fourth in the world rankings and the women's team preparing for the Tokyo Games.
The excitement was cut short when COVID-19 forced the Olympics to move to 2021. To fight the disruption, Hockey India turned to technology, creating online programs to help athletes, officials, and supporters regain a sense of routine.
The organization acted quickly following the Olympic postponement, teaming up with chief coaches to design a realistic training and competition schedule for the national squads.
By providing detailed frameworks and safety protocols for returning to the field, Hockey India proved to be the most prepared federation, setting the standard for a systematic restart.
In a significant shift in April 2020, Hockey India reorganized the National Championships, aiming to make the tournament more inclusive and expand the sport's reach throughout India.
In May 2020, Hockey India hosted an unprecedented Special Congress via video conference to brainstorm the best ways to revive hockey at both the state and national levels post-pandemic.
During the initial lockdown phase, Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) joined forces to deliver 21-day virtual training modules for coaches nationwide.
The SAI Centre in Bengaluru also hosted an online 'Basic' Coaching Course for the senior core probables, with 32 men and 23 women from the national pool participating.
Through a partnership with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Hockey India launched the FIH Academy, allowing Indian coaches to learn from global experts via Microsoft Teams.
Prioritizing health, Hockey India partnered with the non-profit Aaroogya to hold a Zoom session for the women's national team on the prevention and early detection of oral, cervical, and breast cancer. The experts from Aaroogya praised the athletes for maintaining the kind of healthy lifestyle that helps ward off such diseases.