The Hockey Museum is supporting the International Hockey Federation – or Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) to give them their full French title – to deliver a centenary book and documentary film later this year (2024).

When the FIH came into being in Paris on 7 January 1924, the French Hockey Federation President, Paul Adolphe Stephane Léautey was the driving force behind its creation, and he duly became the first FIH President. Yet, despite our best efforts we have managed to find out very little about his life, only tantalising nuggets of information.

What do we know?

We have discovered that Paul Léautey died in office aged 40, just six days shy of completing only his second year as FIH President. He seems to have fought in the First World War where he received two unknown citations and one unknown injury. He rose to the rank of Captain in the reserve French Army, 306 Artillery Regiment. He was seemingly awarded the Croix de Guerre (a notable French war medal) for reasons unknown and achieved the level of Chevalier des Legion d’Honneur, the lowest rank of the highest French order of military or civilian merit. The latter was awarded on 23 December 1925. He died on 1 January 1926: a Legion d’Honneur award for only nine days! He is buried at the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

We know almost nothing else about his life, perhaps unsurprisingly as he was in post with the FIH for such a short period of time. Do any of our readers know more?

Finally, the Paul Léautey Cup was offered posthumously to the FIH by his brother and was awarded annually to the national association to have shown “the best results at the international level or that had through its initiative, its activity, its behaviour and progress, shown itself to be the most deserving team in the sport of hockey.” From 1974, the Paul Léautey Cup was succeeded by the Pablo Negre Trophy.

Past winners of the Paul Léautey Cup, 1928-1973

The Paul Léautey Cup, which resides in the FIH offices in Lausanne, Switzerland.