In the following sports equipment analogy, Hockey is related to Stick in a certain way. Using the same relationship, Boxing is related to which of the following?

Introduction / Context:
This analogy checks knowledge of sports and the primary equipment used to play them. The pair Hockey and Stick describes the essential item required by a player during a hockey match. We must now find the essential equipment for Boxing from the given options. This type of question examines general awareness and the ability to map a sport to its characteristic gear.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• First pair: Hockey : Stick
• Second sport: Boxing
• Options: Bat, Ball, Sword, Gloves.
• We assume standard forms of the sports as played in common practice.

Concept / Approach:
In the first pair, the relation is clearly between a game and its primary piece of equipment. A hockey player uses a stick to hit the ball and play the game. In the same way, a boxer uses a specific item of equipment which defines safe and regulated play. We must choose the option that names this main item for boxing.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Restate the first relation: Hockey is played using a Stick as the main piece of equipment held by the player. Step 2: Identify the sport in the second pair, which is Boxing. Step 3: Recall what boxers wear or use that is central to the sport. Boxers wear padded gloves to strike opponents safely and within the rules. Step 4: Compare options. Bat is linked to cricket or baseball. Ball is common to many games like football or basketball. Sword belongs to fencing or combat sports using blades. Step 5: Gloves are the main and defining equipment in boxing, so they mirror the relation of stick to hockey.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can verify by checking if each sport would sound correct paired with the given item. We say hockey stick, cricket bat, tennis ball, and boxing gloves. The phrases hockey bat or boxing ball are clearly incorrect in usual usage. Thus Hockey : Stick has a natural linguistic parallel in Boxing : Gloves, which confirms the relationship game to key equipment.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Bat is not used in boxing and therefore does not form a meaningful pair with it. Ball is not the principal equipment in boxing, which focuses on striking rather than kicking or throwing a ball. Sword is used in fencing or martial arts, not in modern boxing. These options might be tempting only if one ignores the specific association between each item and its sport, but they do not preserve the given pattern.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may overthink and imagine rare or unusual variations of sports. In standard aptitude questions, however, always use the conventional form of the game unless stated otherwise. Another pitfall is to be distracted by items that are common in many sports, like a ball, instead of focusing on the sport specific piece of equipment such as stick for hockey or gloves for boxing.

Final Answer:
The correct completion of the analogy Hockey : Stick :: Boxing : ? is Gloves.