Dhyan chand - Magician of Hockey

"Wizard of hockey" Major Dhyan Chand Singh was an Indian hockey player. He was among the world's finest players. His first coach gave him the nickname "Chand" (Moon), believing that one day he will shine like the moon.

He was born into a Bais Rajput family on August 29, 1905, in Prayag (Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh. In addition to playing hockey, his father was a Subedar in the Indian Army. Mool Singh and Roop Singh were the names of his two brothers.Due to his father's profession being movable, he was only able to complete six years of school before his family was forced to relocate repeatedly and settle down permanently in Jhansi. 

When he was fourteen years old, he went to a hockey game with his father, and one team was behind by two goals. When an Army Officer allowed him to play from the losing side, as he had insisted, Dhyan scored four goals for the squad. The officer was impressed with Dhyan's abilities and invited him to enlist in the army. In 1922, Dhyan, being 16 years old, was enlisted as a Sepoy in the Punjab Regiment.In 1936, he wed Janaki Devi, with whom he had seven sons.

Due to his skill, he began competing in army hockey tournaments in 1922. Owing to his abilities, he was chosen to participate in the 1926 tour to New Zealand with the Indian Army Team.

In the competition, his side won 18 of the 21 games, and Dhyan Chand's performances were highly praised. After he returned to India, he was promoted to Lance Naik.

He was chosen to compete for India in the Summer Olympics in 1928. Dhyan Chand scored two goals in the championship game as India won the gold medal in hockey at the Olympics. Dhyan Chand, who scored 14 goals in five games, became the Olympic hero of 1928.

Dhyan Chand was chosen for the Indian hockey squad by default for the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but his teammates had to qualify through the Inter-Provincial competition. Roop Singh, his brother, was also able to get a spot on the squad..

The squad embarked on an international tour that included stops in the United States, England, and several other nations following the Olympics. India had won 34 of the 37 games they had played by the end of the tour, with Chand accounting for 133 of the team's 338 goals.

In 1936, he captained the Indian hockey team during the Summer Olympics. His unit first refused to allow him to compete in the 1936 Olympics, but in the end, it gave in. Adolf Hitler, the supreme leader of Germany, attempted to prove his "Aryan Supremacy" claim during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. However, the incredible feats of Indian sprinter Dhyan Chand and American black athlete Jesse Owens exposed flaws in his argument. He offered Dhyan Chand the position of Colonel if he moved to Germany, but Dhyan Chand turned down his offer since he was so thrilled by India's performance in the championship game, which India won 8-1. 

In 1928, 1932, and 1936, he competed for the Indian hockey teams that won three gold medals in the Olympics in hockey. Throughout his athletic career, he scored over a thousand goals, 400 of which came from international competitions.

In 1956, he received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India, in recognition of his services to sports.

In 1948, he announced his retirement from competitive hockey at the age of 42. Vienna, Austria honoured him by erecting a statue in his honour. The other sculptures of this renowned athlete are located at Medak, Andhra Pradesh, and New Delhi. 

Unfortunately, this sports hero lived a miserable final years. He was poor and mostly forgotten, and he lost all hope in life. At the age of 74, he passed away in 1979 due to liver cancer.

August 29, Dhyan Chand's birthday, is recognised by the Indian government as National Sports Day. In honour of him, the Indian Postal Service released a postage stamp, and the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi bears his name.