Dhyan Chand: Difference between revisions

 

{{Use Indian English|date=March 2022}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

| birth_date      = {{Birth date|1905|08|29|df=yes}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Indian hockey's famous legend Dhyan Chand's resume|url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/indian-hockeys-famous-legend-dhyan-chands-resume/15527174|access-date=1 April 2016|work=Mid Day|date=3 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401094009/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/indian-hockeys-famous-legend-dhyan-chands-resume/15527174|archive-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>

| death_date      = {{death date and age|df=y|1979|12|03|1905|08|29}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dharma Raja|first1=M.K.|title=Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand Remembered|url=http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2000/faug2000/f220820002.html|access-date=1 April 2016|work=[[Press Information Bureau]]|publisher=[[Government of India]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401090715/http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2000/faug2000/f220820002.html|archive-date=1 April 2022}}</ref>

Known as ''The Wizard''<ref>{{cite news |title=Find out about India's hockey wizard|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/hockey/features/newsid_3493000/3493965.stm |website=bbc.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=From Dhyan Chand to Dhanraj Pillay: The best Indian hockey players in history |url=https://olympics.com/en/featured-news/indian-hockey-players-best-dhyan-chand-balbir-singh-dhanraj-pillay-sreejesh |website=Olympics}}</ref> or ''The Magician''<ref>{{cite news |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/national-sports-day-pm-narendra-modi-pays-tribute-to-major-dhyan-chand-on-birth-anniversary-4818607/ |title=National Sports Day: PM Narendra Modi pays tribute to Major Dhyan Chand on birth anniversary |date=29 August 2017 |publisher=Indian Express }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-08-29 |title=Dhyan Chand: Great Magician of Hockey |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/inspiring-lives/dhyan-chand-great-magician-of-hockey/story-SevrIqr4YwxxyngNPrmb3H.html |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}}</ref> ''of hockey'' for his superb ball control, Chand played internationally from 1926 to 1949, where he scored 570 goals in 185 matches according to his autobiography, ''Goal,''<ref>{{Cite web |title=National Sports Day 2021: Remembering India's golden hockey wizard, Major Dhyan Chand |url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/sports/national-sports-day-2021-remembering-indias-golden-hockey-wizard-major-dhyan-chand |access-date=2021-09-11 |website=[[Free Press Journal]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name="ayush.gupta">{{Cite web |last=ayush.gupta |title=Coming soon: A documentary on hockey legend Dhyan Chand |url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/gallery/sports/indian-hockey-legend-major-dhyan-chand-to-get-a-documentary-ayh-qtauin |access-date=2021-09-11 |website=[[Asianet News Network]] |language=en}}</ref> and over 1000 goals in his entire domestic and international career.<ref name="Discover hockey's answer to Pele">{{Cite news |date=2004-02-26 |title=Discover hockey's answer to Pele |language=en-GB |work=bbc.co.uk |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sportacademy/hi/sa/hockey/features/newsid_3490000/3490504.stm |access-date=2021-09-11}}</ref> BBC called him the "hockey's equivalent of [[Muhammad Ali]]".<ref name="Discover hockey's answer to Pele"/> The [[Government of India]] awarded Chand India's third highest civilian honour, the [[Padma Bhushan]] in 1956.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2022}}</ref> His birthday, 29 August, is celebrated as [[National Sports Day]] in India every year. India's highest sporting honour, ''[[Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award]]'' is named after him.<ref name=":0" />

Chand was born in [[Allahabad]] on 29 August 1905 in a [[Rajput]] family.<ref>{{cite book |author=Dhyan Chand |title=Goal! Autobiography of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand |url=http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/goal/ |year=1952 |publisher=Sport & Pastime |location=Chennai |page=2 |quote=I was born in Allahabad on August 29, 1905. I come from a Rajput family which settled in Allahabad and later migrated to Jhansi.}}</ref><ref name="sportstar">{{cite web|url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/hockey/the-legend-of-dhyan-chand/article19580161.ece|title=The legend of Dhyan Chand|work=The Hindu|date=29 August 2017 |access-date=2020-08-29}}</ref> He was the elder brother of another hockey player [[Roop Singh]], and the son of Sharadha Singh {{citation needed|date=April 2022}} and Sameshwar Singh.<ref>{{cite book |author1=Majumdar, Boria |author2=Mehta, Nalin |title=India and the Olympics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XXONAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT272 |year=2009 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-27574-7 |page=272 }}</ref> Dhyan Chand's father was enlisted in the [[British Indian Army]], and he played hockey for the army. Dhyan Chand had two brothers – Mool Singh and Roop Singh. Because of his father's numerous army transfers, the family had to move to different cities, and as such Chand had to terminate his education after only six years of schooling. The family finally settled in [[Jhansi]], [[Uttar Pradesh]], India.

Young Chand had no serious inclination towards sports though he loved wrestling. He stated that he did not remember whether he played any hockey worth mentioning before he joined the Army, though he said that he occasionally indulged in casual games in [[Jhansi]] with his friends.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iloveindia.com/sports/hockey/players/dhyan-chand.html|title=Dhyan Chand Profile – Indian Hockey Player Dhyan Chand Biography – Information on Dhyan Chand|website=www.iloveindia.com|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref>

On the morning of the final, the entire team was nervous since they had been defeated the last time they had faced Germany. In the locker room, Pankaj Gupta produced a [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] [[Flag of India|tricolour]]. Reverently the team saluted it, prayed and marched onto the field. The German team was successful in restricting the India side to a single goal until the first interval. After the interval, the Indian team launched an all-out attack, easily defeating Germany 8–1, incidentally the only goal scored against India in that Olympic tournament. Newspaper reports for the match stated that Dhyan Chand scored four goals,<ref>{{cite web |title=On this day: Dhyan Chand shines in Berlin as India bags third straight Olympic hockey gold |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/hockey/india-wins-third-successive-hockey-gold-medal-1936-berlin-olympics-dhyan-chand-independence-day/article32359207.ece |website=Sportstar |language=en |date=15 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Indians Retain Olympic Hockey Title |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/maltribune19360825-1.2.89 |newspaper=Malaya Tribune |access-date=12 September 2020 |date=25 August 1936}}</ref> while he claimed he scored three, in his autobiography ''Goal'', with [[Ali Dara]] scoring two, and Roop Singh, [[Carlyle Tapsell]] and [[Sayed Jaffar (field hockey)|Sayed Jaffar]] with one goal each. Describing the game, the Special Correspondent of ''[[The Hindu]]'' wrote:{{better source needed|date=August 2022}}

After 34 years of service, Chand retired from the Indian Army on 29 August 1956 as a lieutenant (acting [[Captain (armed forces)|captain]]).<ref name="gazette"/>{{refn|Chand is generally stated to have held the rank of [[major]] at his retirement, but it is unclear when he was promoted to this rank. The ''[[Gazette of India]]'' notification of his retirement dated 20 March 1957 lists him as "Lt. (A/Capt.) Dhyan Chand (IEC 3526), Punjab."<ref name="gazette"/> |group= n}} The [[Government of India]] honoured him the same year by conferring him the [[Padma Bhushan]], India's third highest civilian honour.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2000/faug2000/f220820002.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071107112625/http://pib.nic.in/feature/feyr2000/faug2000/f220820002.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-11-07|date=August 2000 |title=Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand Remembered |author=Dharma Raja, M.K. |publisher=Press Information Bureau, Government of India |access-date=4 January 2022}}</ref>

Chand died on 3 December 1979 from liver cancer at the [[All India Institute of Medical Sciences]], [[Delhi]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Dhyan Chand never expected anything: Ashok Kumar |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-30/hockey/29944389_1_hockey-wizard-national-sports-day-major-dhyan-chand |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131120024245/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-30/hockey/29944389_1_hockey-wizard-national-sports-day-major-dhyan-chand |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 November 2013 |date=30 August 2011 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |location=India}}</ref> He was cremated at the [[Jhansi Heroes]] ground in his hometown, after some initial problems in getting clearance. His regiment, the [[Punjab Regiment (India)|Punjab Regiment]], accorded him full military honours.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/legend/encounters/page11.htm|title=Last Days of Dhyan Chand|website=www.bharatiyahockey.org|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref>

India's highest award for lifetime achievement in sports is the [[Dhyan Chand Award]] which has been awarded annually since 2002 to sporting figures who not only contribute through their performance but also contribute to the sport after their retirement. The [[National Stadium, Delhi]] was renamed [[Dhyan Chand National Stadium]] in 2002 in his honour.<ref>{{cite news |title=Even Bradman was impressed with Dhyan Chand |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-30/hockey/29944192_1_don-bradman-olympics-cricket |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909114344/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-30/hockey/29944192_1_don-bradman-olympics-cricket |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 September 2011 |work=[[The Times of India]] |date=30 August 2022}}</ref>

A hostel at [[Aligarh Muslim University]], of which he was an alumnus,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/some-hearts-still-beat-for-hockey-here/1/136704.html|title=Some hearts still beat for hockey here|date=30 April 2011|author=Ali, Qaiser Mohammad |work=India Today}}</ref> has been named after him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amu.ac.in/amuhalls.jsp?did=10093&lid=Students%2520List%2520DC|title=Aligarh Muslim University {{!}}{{!}} Halls|website=www.amu.ac.in|access-date=29 August 2022}}</ref>

Government of India has issued a commemorative postage stamp and a First Day Cover in honour of Dhyan Chand. He remains the only Indian hockey player to have a stamp in his honour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bharatiyahockey.org/granthalaya/legend/encounters/page12.htm|title=Dhyan Chand Chronology|website=www.bharatiyahockey.org|access-date=23 August 2022}}</ref>

Chand was among the nominees considered for India's highest civilian award, [[Bharat Ratna]], for 2014 and there was support for it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bharat-ratna-does-hockey-legend-late-dhyan-chand-deserve-it-more-than-cricketing-icon-sachin-tendulkar/articleshow/25958648.cms |title=Bharat Ratna: Does hockey legend late Dhyan Chand deserve it more than cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar?|author= Sharma, Aman |work=The Economic Times |date=18 November 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report-dhyan-chand-deserves-bharat-ratna-nana-patekar-1943967 |title=Dhyan Chand deserves Bharat Ratna: Nana Patekar |work=DNA India|date=2 January 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-olympians-fans-hold-rally-demanding-bharat-ratna-for-dhyan-chand-hockey/1/335126.html |title=Fans hold rally demanding Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand |publisher=India Today|date=8 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141009044735/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/former-olympians-fans-hold-rally-demanding-bharat-ratna-for-dhyan-chand-hockey/1/335126.html |archive-date=9 October 2014 }}</ref> The award was then given to [[Sachin Tendulkar]] and [[C. N. R. Rao]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/series-tournament/bharat-ratna-sachin-tendulkar/top-stories/Sachin-Tendulkar-and-CNR-Rao-conferred-Bharat-Ratna/articleshow/29849599.cms |title=Sachin Tendulkar and CNR Rao conferred Bharat Ratna |work=The Times of India|date=4 February 2022}}</ref> The family members of Dhyan Chand were disappointed with the government's decision.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/hockey/220497-i-have-no-hope-of-bharat-ratna-for-dhyan-chand-now-ashok-kumar |title=I have no hope of Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand now: Ashok Kumar |publisher=NDTV SPORTS |date=5 February 2014 |access-date=25 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610183841/http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/hockey/220497-i-have-no-hope-of-bharat-ratna-for-dhyan-chand-now-ashok-kumar |archive-date=10 June 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> An [[Right to Information Act|RTI]] was filed which suggested that the [[Prime Minister's Office (India)|Prime Minister's Office]] had ignored the recommendation from [[Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports|sports ministry]] on giving the award to Sachin Tendulkar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://zeenews.india.com/sports/others/pmo-ignored-dhyan-chand-to-confer-sachin-tendulkar-the-bharat-ratna_787725.html |title=PMO ignored Dhyan Chand to confer Sachin Tendulkar the Bharat Ratna? |publisher=Zee News|date=21 May 2022}}</ref>