August 29, as a tribute to the great Dhyan Chand, is recognized as National Sports Day.
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History books are testimony that legends are rare. And the history of Indian Sports would be incomplete without remembering the heroics of Major Dhyan Chand, one of the finest hockey players the country ever produced. To mark his birth anniversary, August 29 is recognized as National Sports Day. It is just a small way for the country to pay tribute to this hockey legend.
The late hockey player was born on August 29, 1905. With his extraordinary goal-scoring feats, Dhyan Chand earned his name in Indian hockey. He had won three Olympic gold medals, in 1928, 1932, and 1936. His influence extended beyond these victories and India as a nation won eight Olympics from 1928 to 1964.
He has been conferred with several honours, including Padma Bhushan in 1956.
Major Dhyan Chand started his early career as a sepoy in the Indian Army, at the age of 17. His hockey career started there when he began playing army hockey tournaments and regimental games. Chand eventually got the chance to play for the Indian Army that was touring New Zealand. His performance in New Zealand was hailed by the entire nation, and he was promoted to the rank of Lance Naik. There was no going back after that.
After successfully getting back field hockey in the Olympics, the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF)wanted to send the best team for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. In 1925, an Inter-Provincial Tournament was held to select team members. Five teams– United Provinces (UP), Punjab, Bengal, Rajputana and Central Provinces took part in the same. Chand played for the United Provinces team.
In 1933, Chand’s home team won the Beighton Cup, which Indian hockey tournaments.
In Kolkata also they won the Lakshmibilas Cup tournament, which was open only to Indian teams. In 1935, they successfully defended their Beighton Cup title, but could not hold on to it in the subsequent year.
In December 1934, the IHF wanted to send a team to New Zealand in the new year. Chand and his brother were immediately selected. When Moinuddin Khanji, the Nawab of Manavadar declined to play, Chand was given the captaincy. In the subsequent tour, the team played a total of 48 matches– 28 in New Zealand and the remainder in India, Ceylon and Australia. India won every match, scoring 584 goals and conceding only 40. Of these 48 matches, Chand played 23 and scored a total of 201 goals.
India and Germany had a massive clash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics field hockey final on 19 August. Morale in the locker room was already down since they had faced a defeat in the hands of Germany earlier on. After the interval, the Indian team launched an all-out attack, easily defeating Germany 8–1. This game was important since it was the only goal scored against India in the tournament. Newspaper reports recall that Dhyan Chand scored four goals, while he claimed he scored three, in his autobiography Goal, with Ali Dara scoring two, and Roop Singh, Carlyle Tapsell and Sayed Jaffar with one goal each.
Known as The Wizard or The Magician for his superb ball control, Chand played internationally from 1926 to 1949. In his illustrious career, he scored 570 goals in 185 matches according to his autobiography, Goal.
Dhyan Chand is one of the most looked upon players in the world of hockey. His skills have been glorified in various stories and anecdotes. Chand’s birthday, 29 August, is celebrated as National Sports Day. The President gives away sport-related awards such as the Major Dhyanchand Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Dhyan Chand is without a doubt one of the greatest sporting personalities that have ever been there. His exploits from 1928 to 1936 stunned the world, including world leaders. His hockey prowess is the blueprint for dominance in any era. The rechristening of the Khel Ratna is a major tribute. But, he has been short-changed slightly here.
For all the achievements of the wizard, he has never been bestowed with the Bharat Ratna. Naming the annual Sports Day after Dhyan Chand is one of the steps that the Narendra Modi government has taken. But, naming a stadium because it was a ‘pet project’ weakens the Prime Minister’s moves on Dhyan Chand’s legacy. If the Prime Minister had not named Motera stadium after himself, every move that he had made on Dhyan Chand would have been legitimate in many more ways.
But, the coronavirus times has seen some major changes. The Sports Budget in the 2021/22 session has been slashed. Khelo India has been impacted because of the coronavirus pandemic. Many people are using this to target PM Modi’s ‘hollowness’. But, coronavirus did not spare many sectors. In sports, where cricket is doing well because of massive investments, other sports are still reliant on government support and they had to bear the brunt. But, Indian sports in Tokyo Olympics stumbled due to big-game pressure rather than lack of infrastructure or training facilities.
