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Updated on July 22nd 2022, 1:50:46 pm

The story of Hockey Magician Dhyan Chand

Major Dhyan Chand was a former Indian field hockey player. He is widely considered to be the greatest hockey player of all time. He was often called The Wizard or The Magician of Hockey.

Major Dhyan Chand was a former Indian field hockey player. He is widely considered to be the greatest hockey player of all time. He was known for his exceptional ball and goal-scoring abilities. Due to this, he was often called The Wizard or The Magician of Hockey.


He was an extraordinary talent who worked for the betterment of the sport even after retirement. He was so brilliant in his performances that the cricket legend, Don Bradman, remarked, “He scores goals like runs in cricket” upon watching him play.


What makes his achievements even more remarkable is that he didn’t play much hockey before joining the army. Sadly, we lost him on the 3rd of December 1979 from liver cancer.

Dhyan Chand was born to a Rajput family in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), India. His father, Subedar Sameshwar Dutt Singh, worked and played hockey for the British Indian Army. 

He had two brothers, Mool Singh and Roop Singh. Because of his father’s army transfers, the family moved around a lot before ultimately settling in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Coming to his education, he graduated from Victoria College, Gwalior, in 1932.


He was a legend in Hockey, but does that mean he was into hockey since his childhood? Well, the answer is no.


Also Read | Greatest Indian hockey players of all time


Dhyan Chand was not much into sports. He used to do Wrestling sometimes. Hockey was not in his life until he joined the Indian Army. He kind of grew interested in Hockey after joining the Army and used to practice overnight when moonlight used to come.


He was a legend in Hockey, but does that mean he was into hockey since his childhood? Well, the answer is no.


Dhyan Chand was not much into sports. He used to do Wrestling sometimes. Hockey was not in his life until he joined the Indian Army. He kind of grew interested in Hockey after joining the Army and used to practice overnight when moonlight used to come.


Dhyan Chand joined the British Indian Army on his 17th birthday, 29 August 1922, as a sepoy. For the next four years, he only played army hockey tournaments and regimental games. These performances got him selected for the Indian Army team to tour New Zealand in 1926. The team’s performances were great, and so were his.


He was a part of the Indian Hockey Team that made their Olympic Debut on 17 May 1928. He scored three goals in that match against Austria. He continued to perform amazingly and getting India its first Olympic gold medal. He was declared the top scorer of the tournament with 14 goals in 5 matches.


His brilliant performances continued in the 1932 Olympics, and India earned the gold medal once again. What was even memorable about the Olympics that year was that hi brother, Roop Singh, was alongside him. The brothers scored 25 goals out of India’s 35 goals in the final game against the USA.


He participated in the 1936 Olympics as well, but this time, he was the team captain. He scored three goals in the finals of the 1936 Olympics against Germany.

On the 9th of April 1943, he received an emergency commission as a second lieutenant in the 14th Punjab Regiment. His final match was against Bengal.


He scored more than 400 goals in his career (from 1926 to 1948). Also, he retired from the Indian Army on 29 August 1956 as a lieutenant.


  • He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.

  • In 1951, he was honored with a tournament named after him – Dhyan Chand Hockey Tournament.

  • Indian Govt. called the esteemed lifetime achievement in sports as the Dhyan Chand Award.

  • A hostel at the prestigious Aligarh Muslim University has been named after him.

 

Here are some of the lesser-known facts about Dhyan Chand:

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  1. In one match, he couldn’t score a goal, and he argued with the referee about the measurement of the goal post. It turns out he was right. The goal post violated the official minimum width, as mentioned under the International rules.

  2. Authorities in the Netherlands once broke his hockey stick. The reason being that they wanted to check if there was a magnet inside.

  3. Upon watching him play, Adolf Hitler was mighty impressed with him. As a result, Hitler offered him a German citizenship position in the Army. However, Dhyan Chand turned him down because of his love for his country.

  4. He was a huge fan of Shayari, and his favorite actresses were Hema Malini and Zarina Wahab.

  5. GOAL is his autobiography.

  6. His favorite match was the 1933 Beighton Cup final between Calcutta Customs and Jhansi Heroes.

 

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