'Major Dhyan Chand - World’s envy, India’s pride,' chronicles former Indian Hockey Captain

The name Dhyan Chand rings bells in the hearts of millions of hockey lovers from all over the world. Though there may be only a few alive now who would have witnessed him play: others would have either read or heard about him. He was for hockey what Pele was for football and Don Bradman was for cricket. He is a household name in the world of hockey/India who is remembered for his wizardry with the hockey stick.  

The late Major Dhyan Chand is in the news again after the government of India on August 6, 2021, announced the renaming of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award to Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award- the highest honor for a sportsperson in India. This has come into effect after a constant clamour coming from the sports lovers of India. 

Incidentally, August 29 is also the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand. August 29 of every year is remembered as the national Sports Day- the day in which the President of India gives away different sports awards like the Khel Ratna, Dronacharya Award, and the Arjuna Award to the deserving recipients. The national stadium in New Delhi is also named after Major Dhyan Chand.   
Though Maj Dhyan Chand is already a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1956, the ardent fans of Major  Dhyan Chand were upset over the fact that their hero was not given the Bharat Ratna posthumously.    

Ashok Kumar, Dhyan Chand’s son, himself a hockey player, who represented the 1975 world cup winning India hockey team also echoed the same.   

Former Hockey Captain & Olympian Dr Ashish Ballal chronicles Major Dhyan Chand's career & life

Major Dhyan Chand was born in 1905. His original name was Dhyan Singh and was also known as Dhyan Chand Bais. There are two opinions on why he was called Dhyan Chand: Chand means moon in Hindi. Some say he was called Chand as he shone like the moon on the hockey field. Others say after performing army duties during the day he came out in the night to practice his hockey skills like the moon came out in the night. 

To reminisce about the greatness of Maj Dhyan Chand I will take you through these three incidents. -

• Before the Berlin Olympic games in 1936, Dhyan Chand leads the Indian field hockey team on a tour of Australia. During the tour, The Indian team scored 584 goals of which 200 were scored by Dhyan Chand. The great sir Don Bradman was so impressed with Dhyan Chand he is quoted to have said - 'I wondered whether this record was done by a cricket batsman or a hockey player. You score goals like runs.'
• Dhyan Chand was extremely popular the world over and people were eager to see the magician in action. During the Berlin games in 1936, before India’s match, there were several posters put across Berlin city that read- visit the hockey stadium to witness the hockey magician in action. Whenever India played, the stadium with a capacity of 20,000 used to be full with many disappointed fans returning home unable to get a ticket. 
• During the Berlin Olympics 1936, India defeated Germany 8-1. In all the matches Major Dhyan Chand scored 13 goals. 
• Hitler the Nazi dictator was known to propagate the Aryan Race supremacy. In the same Olympics Jesse Owens, the legendary Afro- American athlete performed stupendously and won 4 gold medals for his country. Adolf Hitler refused to shake hands with him or meet him. There were many media reports on this incident on how Hitler snubbed Jesse Owens.
• After Germany was defeated by India,  Dhyan Chand received a message from the Fuhrer. His heart sank after hearing about this as he had already heard about Hitler’s dislike for blacks, the Jews, and non-white people.  On reaching the headquarters he was taken to the private box of Adolf Hitler. During the discussion, Dhyan Chand was supposedly offered German citizenship and the post of Field marshal in the German army by Hitler, himself. Dhyan Chand is reported to have politely declined the offer pledging his love for his country. 

In his entire career, Major Dhyan Chand scored 570 goals from 185 matches from 1926- 1949. He brought home three Olympic gold medals – Amsterdam in 1928, Los Angeles in 1932, and Berlin in 1936.  He scored 39 goals in all these Olympic games. His contribution to Indian hockey is so great that as a player, coach and selector he helped India win seven out of 8 Olympics from 1928- 1964. 

Major Dhyan Chand was a highly patriotic man, he showed unparalleled dedication and determination in leading the country towards victory and supremacy. During the Berlin Olympics circumstances in the second half of play forced him to take off the shoes and stockings: barefoot he scored three goals. 

Dhyan Chand had immense control over his stick work and his opponents found it hard to wrest the control of the ball from him. He was known for his ball dribbling and the spectators were mesmerized seeing him play magic with the hockey stick. 

Once, the authorities in the Netherlands wanting to find out the secret behind his wizardry broke his stick hoping to find a magnet or some other object there that was assisting his brilliant play- but to their disappointment there was none.

Once asked during an interview about the secret of his greatness, he replied- 'the secret is in both my hands, my fitness, and my mind.’ There is a sports club in Vienna, Austria that displays a photo depicting Major Dhyan Chand bearing four arms and four hockey sticks.  The underlying message was that he was equal to four arms with four hockey sticks. 

In the just-concluded Tokyo Olympics, 2021 Indian men’s hockey team bagged a bronze. With this medal coming after 41 years of hockey India has silenced the skeptical thinking- hockey is finished, hockey in India is dead. The women's team in this same Olympics finished fourth. 

The road map for the future has been cast and the future of Indian hockey looks bright- thanks to the legacy left behind by the predecessors like Major Dhyan Chand.  

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Profile of Padma Bhushan
Hockey Wizard Major Dhyan Chand
                 

 

Lived From                                                                                                                                                   Lived Till
29th August 1905                                                                                                                               3rd of December, 1979

Name:
Major Dhyan “Chand” Singh – The title of Chand (Moon) was given by the people of India because he shone like the moon.

Place of Birth:
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Resting Place:
Jhansi Heroes Ground, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh

Father’s Name: 
Shri Someshwar Dutt

Service Record:
Joined the British Indian Army – Punjab Regiment Services at the age of 17 years
Retired as a Major from the Indian Army.

Coach (Early Years):
Subedar Bhole Tiwari

Domestic Team Represented:
Services Hockey Team
Jhansi Heroes Team

Olympic Quest:
3 times Gold Medallist and captained the Indian Team for the 1936 Berlin Olympics

1928 Amsterdam Olympics – Gold Medal
1932 Los Angeles Olympics – Gold Medal
1936 Berlin Olympics – Gold Medal

In the Final Match between Germany and India, India scored the highest number of goals, the score being 8-1. This was the first time any team had won 3 consecutive Olympic Gold medals.  Adolf Hitler, offered Major Dhyan Chand a very suitable job in the German Army which was politely refused, as Major Dhyan Chand only wanted to serve his motherland. 

Major Dhyan Chand’s Olympic career was cut short with the advent of World War II. 

Participation in International Events:
1926 ---- Australia – New Zealand Tour
1927 ---- London Folkstone Festival Tour
1936 ---- World Tour
1947 ---- East African Tour

Goals Scored:

Olympics-
1928 Amsterdam Olympics                              – 14 Goals (Total)
1928 Amsterdam Olympics Final Match        – 3 Goals
1932 Los Angeles Olympics                              – 12 Goals
1936 Berlin Olympics                                         – 13 Goals
1936 Berlin Olympics Final Match                   – 3 Goals

International Matches-
1926 ---- Australia – New Zealand Tour          – 201 Goals in 43 Matches
1927 ---- London Folkstone Festival Tour       – 36 Goals in 10 Matches
1936 ---- World Tour                                          – 59 Goals
1947 ---- East African Tour                                – 61 Goals in 22 Matches

Overall, Dhyan Chand has scored more than 1000 goals in his active hockey career. 

Life After:

Retired from Active Hockey in 1949 after playing for a span of almost 25 years. 

Got promoted as the 2nd lieutenant and again promoted as a lieutenant in 1952, under the Indian army, and in 1954 was promoted to the rank of Major. 

Retired from the Army in 1956, awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956 by His Excellency, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India. 

Joined Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur`s Scheme in Delhi. Joined National Institute of Sports at Patiala and served from 1962 to 1978 as Chief Coach. 

He was appointed as the Indian Selector and Coach for the team on many occasions. 

The International Olympic Association sent a special invitation to witness the 1972 Olympic Games. 

He Joined the Orissa Sports Council in 1978, left the job in 1979 due to illness, and returned home to Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. 

Major Dhyan Chand passed away in December 1979 at AIIMS, New Delhi. His body was flown by helicopter to Jhansi and he was cremated at the Jhansi Heroes Club grounds, where he used to once play, with Military honors by the Punjab Regiment. 

His Samadhi and a statue still exist and people from all over the world visit to pay homage.

Honours and Awards:

• Awarded the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, The Padma Bhushan in 1956.
• Indian Postal Department issues a commemorative stamp in memory of Major Dhyan Chand on 3rd December 1980.
• The Government of India announces Major Dhyan Chand’s Birthday as National Sports Day.
• The Government of India announces the Dhyan Chand Award - India's highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games in the year 2002.
• The Government of India awards meritorious sportsmen with Dhyan Chand Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, and Dronacharya Award at Rashtrapati Bhavan on his Birthday. 
• The National Stadium in New Delhi is renamed Dhyan Chand National Stadium by the Government of India in the year 2002.
• The Sports Authority of India erected a life-like statue of Major Dhyan Chand at the National Stadium in the year 1995. 
• The Citizens of Jhansi have erected a 30 feet tall statue on top of the hill overlooking the city as a mark of respect. 
• A newly-laid Astro-turf hockey pitch, at a cost of 250,000 Pounds at the Indian Gymkhana Club in London has been named after Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.
• The Olympic Committee honored Major Dhyan Chand by naming a metro station in London as Dhyan Chand Station for the 2012 London Olympics.
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh named a stadium as Dhyan Chand Stadium in Bhopal. 

Famous Quote:

“You are doubtless aware that I am a common man, and then a soldier. It has been my training from my very childhood to avoid limelight and publicity.” – Dhyan Chand

Anecdotes and Quotes:

Berlin Olympics: Indian Hockey Team manager Swami Jagan Nath said of Dhyan Chand in his tournament report: “Dhyan Chand who once more proved himself as the best center-forward in the World, demonstrated his worth as a great captain. Held in great esteem, affection, and admiration by the players, he was the central luminary around whom the members of the team revolved.”

Kenya Tour: Such was the fan following for Dhyan Chand that after the Partition in 1947, he was included in the Indian team on a goodwill tour of Kenya as the invitation had a condition: No Dhyan Chand No tour. India won all 28 matches with Dhyan Chand scoring 61 goals.

Sir Donald Bradman: In 1935, he met cricket great Don Bradman at Adelaide. And, after watching him play, Bradman commented: "He scores goals like we score runs in cricket."

Captain Gurbux Singh: "His simplicity was his asset, he would connect with the players easily. He commanded a lot of respect and awe from us. Like any great player, he would expect us to be like him, but everybody has their limitations," said the former India captain.

"There were no Olympics in 1940 and in 1944, otherwise he would have represented India to glory in five Olympics. The entire sports fraternity should come together and celebrate the day," Gurbux, a member of the 1964 gold medal-winning Olympic side, said.
"I remember Dhyanchand, Balbir Singh senior, KD Singh Babu, and Kishan Lal were the selectors in 1959. That was for the first time I witnessed the magic of Dadda. No player could get control over the ball from him even at that age. I regret that we don't have videos of his playing days,"

Padma Shri Leslie Claudius: "It is true that Dhyan Chand did not get his dues in the country but that's how Hockey administration is in India. It is regretful,"

Shri S. Thyagrajan (Editor- Sportstar): More than his personal conquests, which earned Dhyan Chand such sobriquets as "Magician" and "Wizard," his achievements inspired a whole generation of players. If hockey was projected as India's national game, it was mostly due to the aura of Dhyan Chand.

Shri L.K. Advani (Member of Parliament): "I fondly recall the 1936 Berlin Olympics which was the era of Major Dhyanchand and India excelled in hockey. We won golds during that period and no one could score even a single goal against us." There should be a time-bound approach and efforts should be made to restore our glory in the game of hockey.

By Dr. Ashish Kumar Ballal
(Former Indian Hockey Captain,
Olympian & Asian Games Gold medallist 1998
Arjun Awardee1996 & Ekalavya Awardee 2000)