the magician of hockey

Major Dhyan Chand was former Indian hockey player. He was considered as legend of hockey due to his ability of control the ball. He is known as for his extraordinary goal scoring ability. He is known as the name “The Wizard”, he played his last international match in 1948. He scored more than 400 goals in his entire international career. On his birthday 29 August, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India.

Life:

Major Dhyan Chand was born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad. His elder brother Roop Singh was another hockey player. His father was in the British Indian Army and played hockey in the army. Chand had to terminate his study due to his father number of army transfer.

Chand joined army when he was 16 year old, he had no major inclination towards sports. As Chand stated that he did not remember whether he played any hockey worth mentioning before he joined army.

Introduction to Hockey:

In his childhood days Chand had no major inclination to hockey, he likes wrestling lot. He started to play hockey with his friends who used to themselves make hockey sticks from tree branches. At the age of 14 years he visited first hockey match with his father.

In his first match he scored 4 goals for the team. He impressed the officer by his skills then officer offered him to join the army at the age of 16 years.

There are many incidents those proved that Chand had amazing skill as a fabulous Hockey player. In one match he scored 3 goals in last 4 minutes of a match and got his team the victory in the match. 

In final match of the Punjab infantry tournament in Jhelum he got named the “Hockey Wizard”. In 1926 Chand had selected in Indian international hockey team due to his ability of hitting goal.

In first tournament against New Zealand he scored 10 goals out of 20 goals. During the tour the team scored total 192 goals and Chand alone scored over 100 them.

In 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games, first match he scored 2 goals out of 3 goals against Netherlands, getting India the Gold Medal by win a 3-0.  In 1932 Loss Angeles Olympics, the Indian team won the Gold Medal again in lead of Lal Shah Bukhari.

In one tournament India beat USA Hockey team by 23-1 which is world record but in 2003 it was broken. Out of 23 goals, 8 goals were scored by Major Dhyan Chand. In the same event Chand scored 12 goals in just 2 matches.

In 1932 Berlin Olympics final Indian squad score only 1 goal till the interval. After the interval Chand had removed his shoes and played the match barefooted onwards. The Indian team won that final by 8-1 huge difference.

After that match, the German dictator supposedly offered Chand a higher post in German army but he politely denied the offer. He retired from hockey in 1948 when he was 42 year old.

Death:

After retirement from hockey Chand were not very happy due short of money and was badly ignored by nation. The last days he was suffered from cancer and sent to a general ward at the All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi. He died on the 3^rd December 1979.

Achievements:

On his birthday (29^th August) celebrated as National Sports Day due to his extraordinary service to his nation.

He was honored by the Padma Bhushan award by Indian government in 1956.

Indian postal service issued a postage stamp in his memory and the Dhyan Chand National Stadium at New Delhi had been named after him.

Interesting facts:

1. Dhyan Chand scored 14 goals in 1928 Amsterdam Olympics and he was leading goal scorer in that tournament. A news report about the Indian Victory said “This is not a game of Hockey, but magic. In fact Dhyan Chand is the magician of Hockey.”

2. In 1936 Berlin Olympics a German newspaper carried a banner headline “The Olympics complex now the magic show too”. The whole city of Berlin had posters “Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action.”

3. Chand has scored 400 goals in his whole career (22 years 1926-1948).

4. At once Hockey authorities in the Netherland broke his hockey stick to check if there was a magnet inside.