Once a student of Major Dhyan Chand, this Hockey player forced to live in misery

Several renowned players are forced to live in misery due to the neglect of the government. Such is the case with hockey player Tekchand Yadav. Due to the lack of assistance from the authorities, 82-year-old Tekchand Yadav is struggling to make ends meet in a dilapidated hut in Madhya Pradesh's Sagar. 

Tekchand Yadav is a student of 'Wizard of Hockey' Major Dhyan Chand and also a teacher of Hockey player and referee Moharsingh. In 1961, he participated in an exhibition match representing the Bhopal-11 team, where he gave a tough fight to the teams of New Zealand and Holland. Both matches ended in a draw.

Tekchand, born on December 9, 1940, says that during his school days, all the children used to play hockey. That's when he also started playing hockey. His father was a contractor in the army. Seeing his interest, his father encouraged him. Based on his good performance, he was selected for the District Hockey Association (DHA) team. He played tournaments in several cities including Bhopal and Delhi with the DHA team and delivered impressive performances leading to victories. In 1960, India lost in the Olympics. As a result, tours were organised for the world's top teams to visit India. 

"Major Dhyan Chand also came to MRSC Sagar. He stayed here. During this time, he called and trained hockey players from Sagar and Jabalpur. I was also among those players. I took hockey tips from Major Dhyan Chand for three months in Sagar, which brought more refinement to my game. After losing in the Olympics, the teams from New Zealand and Holland came to India. During their visit, when both teams came to Bhopal, individual matches were organized between them and a team called Bhopal-11. I was also included in the Bhopal-11 team. Bhopal-11 played exhibition matches against New Zealand and Holland," he said. Due to their outstanding performance, the opposing team couldn't score goals. As a result, both matches ended in a draw.

After the demise of his father in 1962, he quit playing hockey. He did private work to support the household. His wife and daughter passed away. Currently, he lives alone in a rented house. He receives an old-age pension and gets meals from the Sita Ram Rasoi Social Organisation in the morning and evening. 

According to old Tekchand, his medals and awards earned during his hockey playing days were lost. Today, there is no one to inquire about his well-being. He had four brothers, but they all moved out for work and settled with their families elsewhere. "Currently, I am spending my time alone in a makeshift hut," he said.