PAID TO PLAY

How Self-Funded Soldiers Built the Foundations of Modern Sports in Malabar

When the British military established its outposts across the Indian subcontinent, it brought with it a culture of organized games - cricket, football, hockey, tennis, golf, badminton and athletics, not merely for recreation but as an integral part of military life. During the early decades of colonial rule these sports remained largely confined to European officers and soldiers, serving as a familiar pastime in an unfamiliar land. Participation by Indians was initially limited, although this gradually changed as military competitions began attracting local spectators and, in time, selected civilian participants.

A significant turning point came with the Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India (1863). Its report identified the high incidence of illness among European troops as being closely linked to inactivity and the lack of wholesome recreation. Physical exercise and organized games were therefore recommended as essential to the health and efficiency of the soldier. Several decades later, Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener, after assuming office as Commander-in-Chief in India, strengthened this policy by encouraging regular outdoor games and inter regimental competitions, making organized sport an important feature of cantonment life.

Less widely appreciated, however, is the financial system that sustained these sporting activities. In many British Indian Army regiments, the routine expenses of games were met not from ordinary government military expenditure but from non-public regimental funds. These funds were built primarily through regular subscriptions or salary deductions from soldiers, supplemented by profits from regimental canteens and recreation institutes. Cricket bats, footballs, hockey sticks, athletic equipment and other sporting necessities were commonly purchased from these collective funds, enabling many cantonments to maintain an active sporting life with limited reliance on government finances.

The administration of these activities generally rested with the Gymkhana Committee, headed by the Garrison Commandant and senior station officers. While primarily a military administrative body, such committees functioned as some of the earliest organized sporting institutions in Malabar. They arranged tournaments, maintained playing fields, supervised equipment, and framed the regulations governing inter regimental competitions. As organized sport expanded, some of these events gradually opened their doors to invited civilian teams, helping to spread modern games beyond military circles.

The Imperial Ledger: Public Funds and Regimental Recreation

Colonial financial regulations maintained a clear distinction between public funds and non-public regimental funds. Government expenditure was primarily intended for military necessities such as arms, ammunition, transport, uniforms and barrack maintenance. Recreational activities generally fell outside these categories and were therefore supported through regimental welfare and recreation accounts.
In many units, soldiers made regular contributions from their pay towards these funds. Additional income often came from regimental canteens and institutes, whose profits were redirected into welfare and recreational activities. Through this collective system, the men themselves helped finance much of the sporting life of the cantonment.

Military Outposts Along the Malabar Coast

Cannanore Cantonment (Burnassery)
As the principal British military station on the Malabar coast, Cannanore accommodated a succession of British and Indian regiments. Sports formed an important part of cantonment life, with games conducted on the Burnassery parade grounds and around St. Angelo Fort. Contemporary military standing orders indicate that commanders exercised oversight over regimental recreation funds and ensured that these non-public accounts remained financially sound for the maintenance of sporting activities and equipment.

West Hill Barracks, Court Maidan and Mananchira (Kozhikode)
A similar pattern prevailed at West Hill Barracks in Kozhikode, which over different periods housed units such as the Somerset Light Infantry, the Dorset Regiment and the Lancashire Fusiliers. Military records of the Madras Presidency generally maintained the principle that sporting expenditure should be met from regimental resources rather than ordinary government grants.

Matches were played on the West Hill grounds and frequently at the Court Maidan and the historic Mananchira Maidan, which gradually emerged as important centres for cricket, football and hockey in Calicut. The regular presence of military teams helped establish these grounds as focal points of organized sport, drawing increasing numbers of local spectators and contributing significantly to the spread of modern games in Malabar.

The Police Transition: The Malabar Special Police

The establishment of the Malabar Special Police (MSP) in 1921 introduced a similar organizational pattern into the armed police. Police standing orders provided for welfare and recreation funds maintained through internal contributions and other approved sources. These funds supported sporting activities, equipment and team travel, allowing the MSP to develop one of the most successful football traditions in South India.

Although government support existed for the police establishment itself, much of the day-to-day sporting expenditure continued to be met through internal welfare arrangements, reflecting practices that had long existed within the British Indian Army.

Legacy: From Regimental Funds to Civilian Clubs

The influence of this subscription based system extended well beyond military barracks. As football, hockey and cricket gained popularity across Malabar during the early twentieth century, many emerging civilian clubs adopted similar financial practices, collecting monthly membership subscriptions to purchase equipment and maintain playing grounds. While schools, missionary institutions, the YMCA and municipal bodies also played important roles in the spread of organized sport, the regimental model offered an effective example of community supported sporting administration.

Following the formation of the State of Kerala in 1956, organized police sports continued to be supported through structured welfare and sports funds, preserving elements of a tradition that had evolved over many decades.

The history of cantonment sports therefore tells a larger story. What began as a military response to concerns over soldiers' health gradually evolved into a practical model of sporting administration based on collective responsibility. Long before corporate sponsorships and government grants became commonplace, many of the organized games played across the maidans of Malabar were sustained through the shared contributions of the very men who took the field. In that sense, the foundations of modern sport in the region were built not only on discipline and competition, but also on a remarkable tradition of self help and collective endeavour.

References

1. Report of the Royal Commission on the Sanitary State of the Army in India (1863). (Public domain)
2. ​Kitchener Army Reform Papers (1902–1909): Directives on Regimental Sports and Troop Fitness. India Office Records (IOR/L/MIL), British Library.
3. ​Government of Madras, Military Department Proceedings (1880–1920): Finance & Non-Public Funds Administration. 
4. ​Standing Orders for the Garrison of Cannanore: Regulations on Gymkhana Committees & Recreation Funds. 
5. Ramachandra Guha. A Corner of a Foreign Field (2002)
6. J. A. Mangan. The Games Ethic and Imperialism (1986).
7. William Logan. Malabar Manual (1887).
8. Travancore State Manual by V. Nagam Aiya (1906).

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Hockey in Kozhikode

A Forgotten Chapter of Malabar’s Sporting History

Modern field hockey was introduced to India by British soldiers during the nineteenth century. Initially played within the ranks of the British Indian Army, the game gradually spread to civil institutions, railways, educational establishments, and commercial organisations across the country. By the early twentieth century, hockey had already established itself as one of the most widely played sports in colonial India.

The formation of the Indian Hockey Federation in 1925 marked the beginning of organised national administration of the sport. Just three years later, India made its Olympic debut at the 1928 Summer Olympics, where the Indian team won its historic first gold medal, ushering in a golden era in international hockey.

Long before this international triumph, however, the game had already begun to appear in several parts of the subcontinent through the influence of British military units, European commercial firms, and colonial institutions. In the Malabar region of present-day Kerala, archival references and local recollections suggest that organised hockey was already being played in towns such as Kozhikode and Kannur during the early decades of the twentieth century, well before India entered the Olympic arena.

Military Participation

The early spread of hockey in Kozhikode was closely connected with the British military presence in the region. Troops stationed at the barracks in West Hill often engaged in field sports during their leisure hours, and hockey formed an important part of this recreational culture.

Local accounts mention that army units such as the Ulster Rifles and the Somerset Infantry played hockey matches while stationed in the town. These teams reportedly participated in games held at West Hill and other open grounds in Kozhikode. Such encounters not only entertained the colonial community but also introduced the sport to local residents who gathered in large numbers to watch these matches.

Another institution that later contributed to the sporting life of the region was the Malabar Special Police. Established in 1921, the force maintained a strong tradition of physical training and competitive sport. Although the police battalions later became more closely associated with football, hockey too formed part of their early sporting activities, helping to sustain organised sports culture in Malabar.

Mananchira Maidan and the Organisation of Early Sports

The historic Mananchira Maidan served as the principal sporting ground of the town during the colonial period. Located in the heart of Kozhikode, the maidan functioned as a central venue for a wide range of recreational and sporting activities.

Records preserved in the Regional Archives in Kozhikode refer to the heavy demand for the ground by various sporting groups. According to these records, specific days of the week were allotted to different sports. Cricket matches were played on Tuesdays and Saturdays, while other days were reserved for athletic activities. Significantly, Wednesdays were allotted for hockey, indicating that the sport had already acquired a recognised position in the town’s sporting calendar by the early twentieth century.

Early Hockey Culture in Kozhikode

During the early decades of the twentieth century, hockey enjoyed remarkable popularity in Kozhikode. The game attracted enthusiastic public support and quickly became one of the most talked-about sporting activities in the town.

Large crowds gathered regularly to watch matches, and the standard of play was regarded as quite impressive for the period. Important grounds where hockey matches were played included Mananchira Maidan, the Railway Ground, the Court Ground, and the West Hill Ground. These venues became lively centres of sporting activity, drawing spectators from across the town and neighbouring areas.

Several prominent officials and members of the European commercial community actively participated in these matches. District collectors, sub-collectors, superintendents of police, and managers of leading trading firms were known to take the field. Planters from the neighbouring hill regions also joined the games.
Officers associated with commercial firms such as Pierce Leslie & Co., Parry & Co., the English and Scottish Joint Co-operative Wholesale Society, and the Commonwealth Trust frequently participated in these matches. Institutional teams such as the North Malabar Battalion and the Telegraph Department also fielded competitive sides.

One of the distinctive features of Kozhikode's sporting culture during the 1930s was the remarkable versatility of its leading players. At a time when organised sporting seasons often overlapped, many outstanding footballers were equally accomplished hockey players, moving effortlessly between the two games. Among the prominent European players remembered in local accounts were Holloway and Thorne. Local sporting circles also produced versatile athletes such as D'Cruz, already well known as a footballer and an excellent centre-forward in hockey, Kottayi Achu, Kottayi Kitta, Krishnan, Laban, Narayi, Theodore, E. P. Bharathan, P. C. Jaison, Ananthan, and Commonwealth Raghavan. The Anglo Indian community too made a valuable contribution through players such as Arthur, George Michael, Barbosa, Edgar Pereira, Johnny Rosario, the Percy, Wilsie and Lambi brothers, Spencer Harley, and several others. Their achievements reflect a period when the boundaries between football and hockey were remarkably fluid, and gifted sportsmen brought distinction to both games.

European Club Hockey

Organised hockey in Kozhikode appears to have begun primarily within the European community residing in the town. One of the earliest known teams was the “Early Closers”, a European club that regularly played at Mananchira Maidan. The club is believed to have been organised by F. M. Langley, an officer associated with Pierce Leslie & Co. The unusual name reportedly originated from the team’s habit of arriving early at the ground for practice and finishing their matches earlier than other groups using the maidan. Because the members would come early and leave early, they gradually came to be known as the “Early Closers.” According to local oral accounts, Andy Master - famed for his ‘Andipass’ in football - is also said to have played hockey as a guest player for the “Early Closers”, in the early years, though documentary evidence for this remains unverified.

European commercial firms played an important role in sustaining hockey activities in the town. Managers and officers from several companies regularly participated in matches, giving the sport an organised and competitive character within the colonial community.

Educational Institutions and Early Tournaments

As hockey gained visibility in Kozhikode, the sport gradually spread beyond European clubs and military units into the educational institutions of the town.

Among the early institutional teams mentioned in local accounts were those from St. Joseph's European School and Zamorins School, one of the oldest educational institutions in the region. These institutions formed competitive teams that played matches against other local sides.

Inter school tournaments also played an important role in the sporting life of the town. One of the earliest such competitions was the West Coast Tournament, which began in 1909 and was open to educational institutions across the western coastal region, including those from Coimbatore and South Kanara.

A few years later, another important competition emerged in the form of the YMCA tournaments, conducted between 1918 and 1935. These events brought together teams from different regions and contributed to the growing sporting culture of Kozhikode.

Emergence of Local Teams

Over time, the sport gradually moved beyond the European and institutional circles of Kozhikode and began to enter the wider local sporting culture. Several early local teams are remembered in sporting recollections.

Among them was Kuttan’s Team, reportedly organised by a horse cart driver. The team later became known as the Challengers Club, which would eventually gain prominence in football history.

Another side remembered in local accounts was the “Cycle Team,” organised by Narayana Swamy. The team earned its distinctive name because all its players arrived at the ground on bicycles, a curious but memorable feature in those days.

These teams illustrate how the sport briefly found acceptance among ordinary residents of the town. Though detailed records of their matches have not survived, the memory of these teams suggests that hockey once enjoyed a modest but genuine following within the local community.

A Remarkable Episode: Women in Early Hockey

An unusual and progressive episode from this period survives in local memory. During the 1930s, long before organised women’s hockey became common internationally, a European woman reportedly participated in hockey matches in Kozhikode.

Known as Miss Barber, she was the manageress of the English and Scottish company. Sporting a bobbed haircut, a striking symbol of modernity in those days, she is said to have played hockey for the Malabar Club among male players at the Court Ground. For many observers today, this episode may appear surprising, yet it reflects the vibrant and somewhat unconventional sporting culture that once existed in the town.

Revival and Organised Growth in the Post-Independence Era

Organised hockey in Kozhikode entered a new phase with the formation of the Kozhikode District Hockey Association in 1971, under the leadership of Sri. Moorkoth Kunhappa as President and Prof. T. M. Abdurahiman as Secretary. This marked a significant effort to revive and institutionalise the sport in the district after its earlier scattered presence.

Soon, a District Women’s Hockey Association was also formed, with Dr. Thankam as President and Smt. Vijaya N as Secretary, reflecting an encouraging expansion of the game across genders. The district went on to achieve notable success, winning the Kerala State Championships in 1982–83 and 1983–84. Kozhikode also had the distinction of hosting both Junior and Senior State Championships on multiple occasions, reaffirming its brief but meaningful return to prominence in the sport.

A Brief but Significant Sporting Chapter

Despite these promising beginnings and later efforts at revival, hockey did not maintain the same level of popularity in Kozhikode over the long term. Football gradually came to dominate the sporting culture of the region.

Nevertheless, the scattered records of the early twentieth century, together with the organised initiatives of the later decades, reveal that hockey once enjoyed a lively and meaningful presence in the sporting life of the town. From the scheduled matches at Mananchira Maidan during the early twentieth century to the modern structured competitions, the story of hockey in Kozhikode offers a fascinating glimpse into the evolving sporting landscape of Malabar.

Though largely forgotten today, these episodes remain an important part of the region’s sporting heritage, reminding us that the playing fields of Kozhikode once echoed with the sound of sticks striking the ball and the cheers of spectators who embraced a game that, for a time, held the imagination of the town.

References and Archival Sources

1. Regional Archives, Kozhikode.
2. Souvenir Publications of Kozhikode Sporting Associations.
3. Local recollections on early hockey teams, grounds, and visiting clubs in Kozhikode.
4. Historical records of the formation of the federation and India’s early participation in international hockey.
5. Majumdar, Boria, and J. A. Mangan (eds.). Sport in South Asian Society: Past and Present. London: Routledge, 2005.
6. Historical records relating to the Malabar Special Police, Government of Madras.

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