Who are the top 10 fastest men in field hockey?

These men were extremely fast on the hockey turf.

Hockey is an extremely fast-paced game. The 60 minutes in the game is always high-octane. As a player you cannot afford to slow down for one second or else the opposition will make you pay. So your pace with the ball is very important. The ability to manoeuvre the ball on the pitch at a brisk pace is super necessary to control the proceedings of the turf.

So today we are going to talk about some of the fastest men to have ever graced the game. These men with their pace and sensational stickwork have mesmerized the audiences. The opposition has a hard time whenever these players receive the ball. Now here's a look at them and their achievements on the court.

10. Fergus Kavanagh (Australia)

Australian field hockey player Fergus Kavanagh is acclaimed by many as one of the greatest field hockey players of the modern day. He is a regular member of the Australian men’s national field hockey team and plays for the Western Australia state team in the Australian Hockey League.

He was the main player when the Kookaburras won the 2010 Delhi Hockey World Cup and 2014 The Hague World Cup. Fergus also led his national team to win a gold medal in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and two Bronze medals in Olympics. He also represented Australia in the Azlan Shah Cup in 2011.

The Dublin-born player is currently busy running his hockey clinic in Hobart, Tasmania.

9. Jamie Dwyer (Australia)

From one Australian to another. Australian field hockey player Jamie Dwyer has scored more than 150 goals in his career of more than 250 matches. He led his national team to win the gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics. In addition to that Dwyer was also a major contributor to the national team which won bronze medals in the 2008 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Olympics.

He now also holds his place among the greatest field hockey players of all time. Jamie also represented his team and won a gold medal in the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2010 Commonwealth Games. He won the gold medal at the 2010 Men’s Hockey World Cup. The Queensland native also won silver medals in the 2002 Men’s Field Hockey World Cup and the 2006 Men’s Field Hockey World Cup. He was named IHF World Player of the Year in 2004 and 2007.

Jamie now currently plays for the YMCC coastal city hockey club.

8. Dhanraj Pillay (India)

Dhanraj Pillay was the only player from India to be named in the World Eleven side for the 1994 World Cup in Sydney. He is the only player in field hockey history to participate in four Olympics from 1992 to 2004, four World Cups from 1990 to 2002, four Champions Trophies from 1995 to 2003, and four Asian Games from 1990 to 2002.

Besides that Dhanraj has also served as a captain of the men's national hockey team. During which he won gold medals in the 1998 Asian Games and 2003 Asia Cup. He scored more than 170 goals in 339 international matches. He was honoured with the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 2000 and Padma Shri, the leading Indian civilian award in 2000.

7.Ties Kruize (Netherlands)

Former Dutch field hockey player Ties Kruize is widely regarded as the best penalty corner taker in the history of field hockey. He won the Gold medal in Amstelveen Hockey World Cup in 1973. Kruize then won the Silver medal in the 1978 Buenos Aires Hockey World Cup.

He participated as a team member of the Dutch national team in the EuroHockey Nations Championship and won the gold medal in 1983 Amsterdam and the bronze medal in 1974 Madrid. Moreover, Kruize also showed his amazing skill with the hockey stick in Hockey Champions Trophy. Consequently winning the gold medal two consecutive times in 1981 Karachi and 1982 Amstelveen.

Kruize bid adieu to hockey in 1986 after the hockey world cup in London.

6. Teun de Nooijer (Netherlands)

This Dutch hockey great has played for Uttar Pradesh in the Hockey India League. Teun de Nooijer is widely considered one of the greatest field hockey players of modern times. Nooijer completed a record 400 games as a pioneer forward of the Dutch national team on 15 August 2009, with a victory against India 5-3.

A star of the Dutch team his runs past the opposition defenders are still etched in the memory of all hockey lovers. He won gold medals in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Olympics. After his retirement from the sport, he is currently coaching the women's team of HC Bloemendaal.

5. Shahbaz Ahmed (Pakistan)

Four-five players are desperately trying to stop a guy as he weaves his way through the defence. The ball firmly glued to his stick this player darts forward and finds the back of the net leaving the keeper with no chance. This player in question is none other than Shahbaz Ahmed.

 Fittingly nicknamed the Maradona of Hockey for his amazing dribbling skills with the hockey stick. Shahbaaz is widely considered one of the best forwards in field hockey history. Ahmed became a member of the Pakistan National Hockey Team in 1986. He captained his team and led them to the victory of Men’s Hockey World Cup victory in 1994. Besides Pakistan national team, he also played for the German club Harvestehuder.

Shahbaz participated in three Olympic Games and won the bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics. He is the only player in field Hockey history to achieve player of the tournament awards consecutive two times, in the 1990 and 1994 World Cup.

4. Hassan Sardar (Pakistan)

Hassan Sardar won the gold medal and led his Pakistan men’s national team to victory in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles as the captain. Sardar participated in his first World Hockey Cup in Mumbai in 1982. There he proved himself as the best centre forward Pakistan has ever produced. He won the very first world cup he played in 1982. Besides, he also achieved the man of the tournament for scoring 11 goals.

Sardar was also marked for his major contribution to crushing India with a score of 7-1 in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. He achieved a hattrick on that occasion.

3. Ric Charlesworth (Australia)

Field hockey player and coach Ric Charlesworth led his national team to victory in the World Hockey Cup in London in 1986. He was named Western Australian Sportsman of the Year a record three times. He also received the Western Australia Citizen of the Year Award in 2001. Ric was inducted into the Australian Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987

With that, he became the second player to achieve that honour. He was also inducted into the Hall of Champions in Western Australia in 1995.

2. Sohail Abbas (Pakistan)

Sohail Abbas is considered a genius creation of Pakistan. He is the highest scorer in modern field hockey. Sohail is the first person in history to reach the 300-goal mark.

He is the fastest to score 100 goals and 200 goals barrier in international hockey history. Sohail is regarded as the greatest flicker for his 65% drag-flick conversion rate. He also holds the record for most goals scored in a single calendar year for his 60 goals in 1999. Abbas is the only person in history to score 21 hat tricks and even a double hattrick in international games.

1. Dhyan Chand (India)

Hockey legend Dhyan Chand is truly a player who comes once in a century. His prowess with the stick literally made Adolf Hitler watch in awe as he demolished the German hockey team in front of him. Such was his charisma and flair. So much so that the Fuhrer offered him the post of Colonel in his Nazi army which Dhyan declined.

Under his presence, India won three Olympic gold medals consecutively from 1928 to 1936. He scored more than 1000 goals in his career from 1926 to 1948. He was bestowed with the title of "The Wizard" because of it.