Major Dhyan Chand: The Wizard of Hockey

It is a fact known far and wide that Major Dhyan Chand is the greatest player of hockey the world has ever seen. Even after over 40 years after his death, he is still remembered and recognized as the Magician, the Wizard of Hockey. The lists of his achievements and his contribution towards Indian Sports in its entirety is nothing short of awe-inspiring. So let’s take a look at some of them –

A MAGICIAN’S TALE

A 16-year old who started to play serious hockey only after he joined the Army as a sepoy. Dhyan Chand’s real name was Dhyan Singh, the eldest son of Sameshwar Dutt Singh, an Army personnel and hockey player. He came to be known as Dhyan Chand because of his dedication to hockey which led him to practice for long hours under the moonlight.

He made and broke countless records during his active years in the sport. Though he played in regimental matches regularly after he joined the Army in 1922, he only made his international debut four years later in 1926. He played internationally for about 23 years till 1949 and scored 570 goals in 185 matches. Though his greatest achievement comes in the form of three Olympic Gold Medals the Indian Hockey team won in three consecutive Olympics.

Playing as a Centre forward, Major Dhyan Chand led India to victory in the 1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin Olympics. It is said that watching him play was like watching a magic show… a lot of international media outlets who reported on Olympics agreed to this comparison. Thus Major Dhyan Chand of Indian Hockey Team came to be renowned as the ‘Wizard’ and the ‘Magician’ of Hockey.

RECOGNITION AND END OF AN ERA

While he was active on the field, Major Dhyan Chand was a respected figure, known in every household. After he decided to retire, he took to the role of a coach but after a while, he decided to settle back in his hometown of Jhansi. But like the fate of most of the ‘former’ stars, he was forgotten rather quickly. It is a sad but true fact that he spent his last days short of money and died of Liver Cancer in the General Ward of AIIMS Delhi. On 3 December, 1979, both India and Hockey suffered a huge blow. The end of an era in its truest sense. Though the due recognition came eventually, Major Dhyan Chand was no longer here to see it.

In 2002, the highest award for contribution in Sports was renamed as the Dhyan Chand Award and the National Stadium of Delhi was renamed to Dhyan Chand Stadium. His birthday, August 29 also came to be recognized as the annual National Sports Day of India.

LEGEND HAS IT…

There are a lot of interesting stories when it comes to the Wizard of hockey. But the most intriguing yet enlightening had to be these two-

It is said that during the Berlin Olympics when Adolf Hitler saw Major Dhyan Chand’s game, he was so impressed that he offered him German citizenship and a place in the German Army. Major politely refused the offer. This incident showed how much love the magician had for his country.

Also, it is a known incident when Netherlands’ Hockey authorities broke his stick to check if there was a magnet inside. The reason? Because once the ball came in contact with Major Dhyan Chand’s stick, it hardly moved away, going only in the direction he wanted it to… almost like magic!