The Champions Trophy was founded by the Pakistan airmarshal Nur Khan. It is the International Hockey Federation's most prestigious annual event (since 1980). It features the world's top-ranked teams competing in a round robin format. The Pakistan Hockey Federation started the competition as a men's tournament in 1978 and it was only as late as 1987 that the first women's tournament took place.

Pakistan, the only Asian country to win the tournament so far, have won the trophy thrice -- twice when they hosted the tournament in Lahore, in the inaugural years in 1978 and 1980. After 1980, the tournament became an annual affair. Australia and Germany (including West Germany before reunification) have both won the trophy a record eight times.

Six teams qualify for the championship, though the first edition had five teams and the second had seven. In the year following the Olympics or a World Cup, the six teams include the host, the defending champion, the world champion and the next highest ranked teams from either the most recent World Cup or Olympic Games.

The last placed team in the tournament is dropped and replaced by the winner of the Champions Challenge, which was introduced in 2001 and can be considered as the Champions Trophy for so called B-nations.

Men's History

Field hockey

Champions Trophy | Champions Trophy | Champions Trophy