Bandy

The origin of bandy is debated. Though many Russians see their ancestors as the creators of the sport, reflected by the unofficial title for bandy, “Russian hockey” (русский хоккей), Russia, England, Wales, and the Netherlands each had sports or pastimes which can be seen as forerunners of the present sport.

Bandy was contested as a demonstration sport at the 1952 Olympic Winter Games in Oslo. It is an outdoor form of ice hockey played on a large rink with 11 players to a side, using a ball instead of a puck.

The Federation of International Bandy (FIB) was a provisional member of the Global Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and, in 2003, was given recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The FIB was founded on 12 February 1955 and has 28 member associations as of January 2026.