Broome Pinniger (1902–1996) was an Indian field hockey player who represented India during the early decades of its international hockey dominance. He is associated with the Indian squad of the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, the tournament at which India won its first Olympic gold medal in field hockey.
| Name | Broome Pinniger |
|---|---|
| Born | 1902 |
| Died | 1996 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Sport | Field hockey |
| Country represented | India |
| Major event | 1928 Summer Olympics, Amsterdam |
Pinniger was part of the generation of hockey players from the Anglo-Indian and Indian community who took the sport from the schools, regimental clubs, and provincial associations of British India onto the international stage. The 1920s saw the consolidation of organised hockey in India under the Indian Hockey Federation, founded in 1925, which assumed responsibility for selecting and sending the national team to the Olympic Games.
Pinniger was named in the Indian field hockey squad that travelled to the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. India entered Olympic hockey for the first time at this edition and won the gold medal without conceding a goal in the tournament, defeating the Netherlands in the final. The Amsterdam campaign laid the foundation for India's long unbroken run of Olympic hockey gold medals that continued until 1956.
As a member of India's pioneering Olympic hockey contingent, Pinniger belongs to the early cohort of players who established Indian field hockey as a leading force in world sport. The 1928 squad, led by captain Jaipal Singh and featuring players such as Dhyan Chand, Richard Allen, and Feroze Khan, is widely regarded as the starting point of India's golden era in hockey.