Dhyan Chand was born on August 29, 1905, in Allahabad. He was an Indian field hockey player, often referred to as a ‘magician’ on the hockey field. He is considered to be the all-time greatest player of the game of hockey. He was the chief protagonist behind India’s three consecutive Olympic hockey gold medals—Amsterdam 1928, Los Angeles 1932, and Berlin 1936. his sublime skills, intricate dribbling, and great scoring ability had a bewitching effect on spectators. He retired from army as a Major in 1956 and became a coach after his retirement and breathed his last on December 3, 1979.
Recognition Given to Him
His birthday, August 29, is celebrated as National Sports Day and various honours like Arjuna award are given on this day. An award for lifetime achievement in sport is already named after him. The Capital’s National Stadium was renamed Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. In August 2021, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has also been renamed after him as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. This decision is a befitting tribute to the hockey legend, who was the first superstar of hockey, and was considered a wizard or magician of the game.
His Career and Achievements
He joined the Indian Army at the age of 16 and started playing hockey from 1922 in army hockey tournaments. Due to his skills, he was selected in the Indian Army Team to play in New Zealand in 1926. Field hockey was reintroduced in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and Dhyan Chand secured a place in the team with his great performance in the inaugural nationals.
Dhyan Chand played 12 Olympic matches, scoring 33 goals. India beat the Netherlands 3–0 in the 1928 final, the United States with a scarcely-believable margin of 24–1 in the 1932 gold medal match, while Germany went down 8–1 in the 1936.
He emerged as the hero of the 1928 Olympics by scoring 14 goals in five matches. He was made the captain of the Indian hockey team in 1934 and he led the team to the 1936 Berlin Olympics. There, too, he worked his magic and team won the gold medal—India’s third successive gold in field hockey. He played his final international match in 1948, and scored more than 400 goals during his international career.
The Government of India awarded him the third highest (then second highest) civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1956.
Some Tales and Anecdotes about Dhyan Chand
It is said once his sublime skill and close control of the ball created such a speculation that his stick was broken to see whether there was a magnet inside. It was a time when the game was played on natural grass, and the surface would often be bumpy and uneven.
During the 1936 Berlin Games, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler was so impressed with Dhyan Chand’s play that he offered him German citizenship, and the post of Colonel in his country’s Army.
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