Information Madness

Dhyan Chand was born on 29^th August 1905 at Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh. He was born in a Rajput family. He joined the army when he was sixteen years old. He joined as a Lance Naik. He grew in the army from a Lance Naik to a Major. He started taking interest in hockey after joining the army and hockey became a religion to him and he practiced it with the passion of an eager devotee.

Dhyan Chand came into the limelight when he toured New Zealand with the army team in 1926. He made his Olympic debut for India in 1928 at Amsterdam. India played the hosts Netherlands in the final and beat them 3-0 for the gold medal. The authorities reported that the final was not a game of hockey but it was a game of magic. In Amsterdam, the authorities even went as far as checking his hockey stick if there was any glue applied to it the way Dhyan Chand was making the ball to stick together with his hockey stick. India’s second gold medal was earned in the next Olympics held in Los Angeles in 1932. India played the host nation again, the United States, and won with a score of 24-1 which stood as a world record, with Dhyan Chand scoring eight of them.

Dhyan Chand was made Captain of the hockey team for the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Dhyan Chand played at his peak this year. It was once again the host nation, Germany, and the score was levelled at 1-1 at half time. Dhyan Chand was not keeping well. He came back after the mid time interval and played barefoot, scoring seven consecutive goals to give India its hat trick of gold medals. India beat Germany 8-1. His goal scoring even got to Adolf Hitler, the Chancellor at that time.

Dhyan Chand was given the Viceroy’s Commission in 1938 and the King’s Commission in 1943. The Government of India awarded him with the Padma Bhushan in 1956. He died on 3^rd December 1979. Dhyan Chand is regarded as the father of modern day hockey. He is an Indian hockey legend.