Author’s Note

Better known as the ‘Emperor of Hockey’ or ‘Magician of Hockey’, the

undisputed king of the world of hockey, Major Dhyanchand’s name is not
unfamiliar for anyone. He was one of the shining stars in the constellation
of glorious personalities who will continue to inspire and motivate players
and people for generations to come. His life sends out a clear message that
whatever the means one might adopt, but one should never forget his or her
duty towards their country, society or motherland. His or her every action
must augment the glory, well-being and prestige of his or her family, society
and country.
In childhood, he was a mediocre, there was no sign which would make
anyone predict that he could be such an excellent player. So we can say, to
some extent, that he did not have any inborn talent for the game of hockey.
He acquired this talent with his perseverant hard work, passion, nobility,
practice, determination and struggle. The glory he earned does not belong to
him alone. It was he who, with his finest performance, compelled the other
countries to bite their fingers and made them believe that he might belong
to a country under the yoke of foreign rule. Yet his talent was no
subservient to anyone. He possessed the talent which had the power to
illuminate the country’s name in the entire world.
This magician of hockey played at the centre and forward, and his game in
this position led India towards a unique destination. The former player and
captain of the Indian hockey team, Major Dhyanchand is counted amongst
the best players of the game in India and abroad. He played so marvellously
that even his opponents were charmed to look at his game. He was the
member of the Indian Olympic team which won the gold medal at the
Olympics for three times. Whenever the foreigners watched him playing,
they fell short of words praising him. He occupied the zenith of glory in the
world of hockey for almost 25 years. Not only this, the other members of his
family kept alive the high tradition he set, and continued to serve the country
with their game. His entire family earned five Olympic gold medals, a
bronze medal in addition to gold, silver and bronze medals in the World Cup;
and this achievement is not less than any sort of record.
In the words of a sports journalist:
“Whenever the name of Dhyanchand emerged in the mind, it was natural
for all of us to recall the image to the mind when he played hockey in 1932
and 1936 Olympics in which this magician of hockey, whenever touched
the ball with his stick, nobody could ever watch his trick, except a ball in
the nets of the goalpost.”
(—Deepak Chandel, Dainik Jagran; 29th August, 2002)
His birthday is celebrated as “National Sports Day”. One of his statues has
been installed at Vienna, in which he is shown holding four hockey sticks in
four hands. It might appear to be an exaggeration, but he alone could handle
the entire opposition team single-handedly. The glorious record that he has
set up in terms of popularity, there is no other player in the world who could
come somewhere near it, or even match it. The final wish of Major
Dhyanchand was that the game of hockey should once again touch its peak
that it touched during its golden era. He wished it to regain its past glory,
which rightfully belongs to it. May God fulfil his ultimate wish!
It is earnestly hoped that the lovers of sports and other people would be
able to draw inspiration from the life of Major Dhyanchand, and I write
with this anticipation.
—Rachna Bhola ‘Yamini’
 1.
Dhyansingh Turns Major Dhyanchand
The great magician of hockey, Major Dhyanchand was born in Allahabad
on 29th August, 1905. He belonged to an ordinary Rajput family. His father,
Someshwar Singh worked in the army. His mother, Shyama Devi was a
cultured and a simple natured woman. The parents cultivated good values in
all the seven children and developed a sense of of patriotism and goodwill
into them.
Dhyanchand had six siblings – three brothers and three sisters. Since his
father was employed in the army, he was often transferred from one place to
another. Over time, the family came to Jhansi from Allahabad.

And, thus, Dhyanchand could not complete study to more than sixth
standard. This was why he arrived at Jhansi. The financial condition of the
family was quite ordinary and there was no family background as far as
sports were concerned.
After getting ordinary education, Dhyanchand was recruited in the army in
1922 – at the age of sixteen. When he became a part of the First Brahmin
Regiment, he did not have any specific interest in hockey. Those days,
games like hockey and football were quite popular in the army. The English
and Indian players practised hard and played between themselves, and a
victory in such matches was a matter of prestige.
All this was quite new to Dhyanchand. Let us tell you the fact that though
we popularly call him Dhyanchand, his name, in fact, was Dhyansingh.
There is an interesting anecdote behind his name being transformed.
When he watched hockey being played in the army, he naturally grew
curious towards it, but he was completely layman to this field. He did not
even know how to hold the stick. He recollected his childhood days when he
played hitting the ball with the sticks he broke from trees, but this form of
game was quite different from that. He did not know any rules or techniques
involved in it. Looking at his curiosity, Subedar Bale Tiwari stepped forward
and it was he who became his first sports mentor and coach. Bale Tiwari
inspired and motivated him to play the hockey, and in a matter of few days,
he was sure that if Dhyanchand got proper training and motivation, he was
bound to give the new dimensions to the game of hockey. He began to
inculcate the spirit in every way in this young player.
Dhyanchand was called Dhyansingh. Whenever he faced a problem, he
found Bale Tiwari to his side guiding him and resolving his problems.
Whatever tricks and techniques he taught him, this new pupil paid all his
attention to them and sipped from this profound knowledge. It is rightly
said that when a pupil is learning whole-heartedly, the teacher feels that his
effort of imparting education to him is worth and meaningful.
Dhyansingh was not alone learning hockey from Bale Tiwari, but he was
certainly distinct from all of them. He was obsessed to learn this game as
well as it could be. In a few days, this game of hockey grew too dear than
life.
When all soldiers sought avenues for rest or recreation after the day’s hard
work and training, Dhyansingh could be seen in moonlight practising
hockey alone. He was so regular at this practice that his co-soldiers had
become habituated to it. If they heard of any sounds coming from the
ground after the sunset, they would think that it was none other than
Dhyansingh practising hockey.
When he returned from practice, his co-soldiers often made fun of him,
“Dhyansingh, have you met your girlfriend?”
And there would be another commenting, “Of course, there is nothing
more lovelier to him than hockey.”
And this was also true. He never cared for his fatigue. He could have
forgotten all his loved-ones for the sake of this loved one, that was hockey.
All these remarks only made Dhyansingh smile. He never felt bad about
them. This simplicity was part of his disposition. He had never learnt to get
entangled with anybody over some trivial issue, or make use of some harsh
or indecent language. How could his co-soldiers realise that the man they
were making fun at one day would grow so famous and to get a glimpse of
whom the people all over the world would go crazy?
Dhyansingh was busy together with his heart and soul, without any desire
in return, but it was someone who was watching him closely and testing his
attachment to the game. This person was none other than Bale Tiwari. He
was amazed by the fantastic talent and firm determination of this man. He
noticed that Dhyansingh often employed new tricks and techniques in his
practice. Finally, he approached him one day and said, “Dhyansingh, there
is no doubt that you play so well, but if you want to shine in this game, and
wish to become a complete and perfect player of hockey, you have to learn
to give passes to the players. When we play in a team, we must give others
a chance to score goals too. This game teaches us collective work and team
spirit, and not competition with the co-players or selfishness.”
“Yes sir, I’ll always remember your formula,” said Dhyansingh mildly.
Tiwari placed his hand over Dhyansingh’s head and said, “The way you
practise hockey in moonlight may you shine like the glorious moon in the
world of hockey; those who work hard never face defeat. And mind you,
from today, I am going to call you Dhyanchand, Dhyan is your name, which
means ‘attention’ and ‘chand’ means ‘the moon’, and you are the
combination of these two.”
It was this how he came to be known as ‘Dhyanchand’. The prediction
that Tiwari made came true and he emerged in the world of hockey like the
moon which spreads its glorious rays all over the world. With the passage
of time, his practice became more intense.
In the army, his name shone like a star hockey player. The English officers
started recognising him. His game was the talk of the unit, and finally, he
was selected for the annual games to be held in Delhi. Dhyanchand played a
vital role in this game, and the military officers were pleased with this
victory, and this was the match that fixed his place at the centre forward
positions in the game of hockey forever.

 2.
First Tour Abroad
There are often instances in life when you are rendered speechless because
some remote possibility manifests itself into reality, and dawns right before
your eyes, leaving the individual quite bewildered. A few of such instances
occurred in the life of Dhyanchand too. We shall delineate a few of them. In
fact, it was from his co-players that he came to know that the Indian Army
was planning to send the hockey team to New Zealand for a series.
This occurred way back in 1926. His friends informed him, “Dhyanchand,
you are a star at the game of

hockey, how well you play it! It’s a golden opportunity for you, go and talk
to them. Maybe you get a chance to go abroad and play.” Another friend
opined, “It is quite futile to even talk of it, because they would never allow a
lowly educated and ordinary soldier such a grand opportunity.” Everybody
possessed their own views, and they were all distinct from each other.
Dhyanchand heard them all quitely, and without saying a word, he went out
to the ground and practised as hard as it was a routine for him.
After he came to know this, there was also a desire in his mind. He had a
dream of joining the team abroad, but he did not let anyone know of his
wish. He was not the kind of a person who could get his things done
somehow. Yet he was confident that if he possessed talent and promise to
find a place in the team, then he would be bestowed upon this opportunity of
itself. He was very confident about this opinion because, in those olden
times, the sports were as good as free from any type of prejudice, popularly
called ‘politics’ these days; talent was the only thing that drew honour. No
impediment, no obstacle, no hindrance was too great to stop him from
realisation of his dream. He went on playing regimental hockey and other
games as he was required to do. He often heard of selections being made to
the team. He heard of people who were selected, and there were some who
were rejected despite their trying hard.
One day the commanding officer sent for him. Dhyanchand had never
even dreamt of it. He never knew what the matter could be. When he stood
before him and saluted, the officer said, “Soldier, you are going to New
Zealand to play hockey.”
He was rendered speechless. He was dumbstruck. He never knew what to
do or say. He was like under a spell. Anyhow he raised his hand to his
forehead to salute and then walked out. A few moments later, when he
regained his consciousness, he was on his toes, he ran to his billet and
informed his mates what the commanding officer then had just told him.
He was still in a state of disbelief and he found it hard to believe what his
ears had heard. He was delivering the message to his friends, but he was
not ready to believe it himself. This piece of news was so amazing, so
wonderful, and after all that, so exciting that it made him overwhelmed
with happiness. It was like the fortune that he could have obtained in that
time of his career. All his friends showered their good wishes on him, and
raised him to their shoulders.
In no time, his coach Tiwari too stepped in. He knew how hard
Dhyanchand had worked to achieve all this. Dhyanchand had wet eyes.
Tiwari’s eyes too did not lag behind to manifest water. He could clearly see
that among the tears that flowed so abundantly from the eyes of the rising
star, there was the flame of golden career in the coming future.
When Dhyanchand’s family got this news, a wave of delight swept it.
They were not ready to believe the news at first, but when they were sure of
its authenticity, they enjoyed every moment of it. Finally, this news turned
into a reality.
Until then, Dhyanchand had played all his matches in different places
within the country. So he had never faced any problem. However, it was not
an easy task for a person coming from an ordinary background to prepare
for the foreign tour. Everybody was aware that he would need woollen
clothing and other equipment for his tour.
Although it was not a concern for Dhyanchand at all about himself, the
only thing that occupied his mind was to bring the glory to the country by
his game. Absence of warm clothing and necessary articles and equipment
did not mean much to him. When an individual is resolved to achieve
something to the extreme, the nature brings before him the solution to every
problem.
His parents were whispering about the arrangement of goods, when
Dhyanchand stood before them and said, “Mother, you have always taught
us to manage everything in the limited resources that we possess. This
teaching will stand by me today. You will see how easily I will manage
everything without heading for any financial trouble.”
Dhyanchand arranged the clothing, overcoat and other items of his kit he
got from the Army, and now he was ready to go. Everybody stated that
meagre clothing will not be sufficient to withstand the cold wave and the
wintry climate abroad, but he shrugged his shoulders.
For him, this tour abroad was not a mere hockey match; rather it was like
a military operation where he had to come to overtake enemies anyhow.
The soldiers who are posted at the front never care for their comforts and
luxury. With this spirit, Dhyanchand sailed for his mission abroad.
It was for the first time that an Indian hockey team was going abroad. They
sailed for about twenty to twenty-five days and arrived in New Zealand
towards the start of May. Every player enjoyed his trip.
They were representing their country. Wherever their team visited, they
were welcomed very compassionately. The players were aware of the fact
that they have to leave a good impression and a better image of their
country. Dhyanchand played remarkably well in all the matches.
The Indian hockey team played a total of 21 matches, winning 18 of them.
The Indian players altogether scored 192 goals, and Dhyanchand alone scored
one hundred of them. In no time, he grew to be a very popular player. The
Indian team was invited to a number of conferences, seminars and feasts. The
players were welcomed as if they were some celebrities. Dhyanchand did not
forget a number of people he met during this tour, especially because of their
affectionate ways. He kept on talking about them throughout his life.
Writing about the memoirs of this tour, Dhyanchand writes that his team
faced defeat in a match against New Zealand. It was the second match of
the series, and it tasted quite bitter after the victory in the first match. The
ground conditions were not good, but the Indian players did not blame the
ground for their defeat; they admitted that the opponent team had played
really well, surely better than them. The entire Indian team was fatigued to
the last bone. So they could not attend the dinner being held to honour
them. Dhyanchand guessed that the opponent team had probably found out
their limitations and capabilities, and they had played according to his
team’s weaknesses. During this period, he met Norman Jacobsen, the New
Zealand captain. Dhyanchand was in particular impressed by his game and
personality. The foreigners too respected their game. The players of the
Indian hockey team grew popular all around.
At home too, the people came to know about the achievements of the
Indian hockey team through the newspapers. They were jubilant to know
that their players were being acclaimed highly abroad, and so they were
looking forward to their return. The players of the Indian hockey team left
behind an impression that was to last for long. Of them, the name of
Dhyanchand led the rest.
Fifty years later, when Ashok Kumar, the son of Dhyanchand, visited New
Zealand, he was surprised to see his father’s photographs in the hockey
clubs there. Those photographs were taken during the tour of 1926.
In fact, it was the tour in which Dhyanchand had transformed the hockey
fans crazy for himself. His name being in the team simply meant that
people were eager to visit the stadium from far-off places. The newspapers
made Dhyanchand a well-known name among common people over night.
Ashok Kumar came across an individual there. He showed him a broken
butt of a hockey stick and claimed that it was a piece which had broken
from Dhyanchand’s stick. Ashok Kumar could not understand anything at
first, but he explained that during one of the matches, Dhyanchand’s stick
broke into pieces. So he took a new stick to play. The sports-lovers present
there divided among themselves the pieces of the broken stick, showing that
piece of stick, expressing their love and affection towards this great
magician of hockey – Dhyanchand.

 3.
Towards a Bright Future
After returning from his tour of New Zealand, Dhyanchand found that he
was now counted amongst the finest hockey players. He received
inspiration from the tour and he promised himself that he would never ever
play his part in any kind of laxity or negligence towards the game. He
vowed that he would practise the game, howsoever adverse the
circumstances might be.
When he joined his duty, his colleagues and high-grade officers welcomed
him. Dhyanchand became emotional at this moment. They all joined
together to wish him a better and bright future. And here he came to know
that he was promoted to the rank of ‘lance naik’.
Optimum success in the foreign tour was followed by promotion;
Dhyanchand thanked the Almighty and repeated in himself his resolve to
strive harder with more dedication. The Indian Hockey Federation had been
set up, and everyone was looking forward for a bright future ahead.

Whenever Dhyanchand was admired, he would feel shy. He did not

belong to the category of those people who would go to any extent in order
to draw others’ attention somehow. He was now once again concentrated to
his life as a soldier. At the same time, his practice with the stick continued
unabated as before. However a great player may be, what can help him
maintain his tempo is his continuous practice, and this was what he was
bent upon doing at the cost of his comfort.
When the soldiers returned after the holidays they had been given to play
hockey abroad, they were assigned more workload than it was normal, as if
they were being made to make up for the lost work.
Moreover, they had been away from work for a considerable period of
time. So, they could not visit their hometowns on leave. Being far from his
family members, Dhyanchand drew inspiration and consolation from the
game he loved so ardently. Whenever he felt alone, he would pick up his
stick and make to the ground. His colleagues often heard the sound coming
from the ground at night whenever the ball met the stick. It was possibly his
hard work and practice which laid the solid foundation for this excellent
career in hockey.
Rumours were once again afloat that perhaps hockey would be included in
the Olympics. In fact, hockey had been included in the 1920 Games at
Antwerp. Thereafter, in 1924 Paris Olympic Games, hockey was not
included.
Now, in the year 1928, Olympic Games were going to be held at
Amsterdam, the increasing popularity of hockey had augmented the
possibility of hockey being included in Olympic Games. The Indian
Hockey Federation was making all efforts towards this goal. It was
approaching the International Olympics Committee for this purpose.
Dhyanchand did not pay attention to all these rumours. Initially, when
positive cues started pouring in, he was bound to think about this issue
earnestly. He naturally culminated a doubt if he would ever be selected in the
team, because he was merely a ‘lance naik’ in the army. He was also doubtful
if his family would encourage and support him for yet another foreign tour.
Third doubt that clouded his mind was if he would be able to compete with
the expectations of his country and countrymen. This was how his mind was
completely eclipsed with different types of questions.
Although Hockey’s participation in the Olympics had been approved, but
the process was never so easy. In the Olympic hockey matches, it was
England that had scored victory until then, and this country was not
favourable to the opinion that its colony India too should participate in the
hockey matches. However, when the appeals started to be made, it had to
bow down and accept this decision.
Only getting approval for India to play in the Olympics was not enough, It
was just the beginning. The chief problem before the Hockey Federation
was who to select as the players and how to select them, and where to select
them.
The Indian Hockey Federation decided that the test matches for selection
of the Indian players would be held at Calcutta (now Kolkata). When
Dhyanchand came to know of this, he was in a state of mental suspense. He
was sure that the English had influenced India in social and political life
quite badly. Yet they would not allow any prejudice to prevail when it came
to the selection of players. Those days, the Hockey Federation mostly
comprised of military officers. However, everybody was confident that
Lance Naik Dhyanchand would be allowed to proceed to Calcutta to play
the test matches as well as go to participate in the Olympics.
The sports fans of Calcutta are well-known for their love for the sport of
football. In the coming years too, Dhyanchand never forgot to express his
gratitude for the people of the city. At that time, the Indian Hockey
Federation did not have enough funds to undertake the foreign tour.
However, it was confident that the matches would enjoy complete support
of the people and it would lead to the collection of required funds.
For the selection of the first national team of India, players were picked
from different states. Dhyanchand was asked to play from the United
Province. They were confident that with the inclusion of this player in the
team, it would certainly bring victory to them, and it came true too. The
team won the title of ‘national champions’ for their province. The entire
ground was reverberated with full of enthusiasm. The team played for three
consecutive days, but they never showed any signs of fatigue; and the
victory eradicated all their tiredness.
A team for the Olympics had been selected, but the problem of funding
for foreign trips was not yet completely resolved. The impasse came to the
junction where funds arranged could only sent eleven players, and the two
extra players could not be sent. At this time, the Bengal Hockey Federation
came to the rescue. It arranged for the journey for these two players. This
was how one obstacle after another was removed from the path.
When the news spread that Dhyanchand’s team had gained victory, the
family was swept with delight. The height of delight further increased when
they learnt that Dhyanchand had been selected for the team going abroad. In
those olden days, going abroad was an occasion no less in importance than
any festival. The faces glowed in emotions, tears and smiles. The family of
Dhyanchand too was undergoing somewhat similar atmosphere.
This time too the problem for arranging necessary articles and equipment
remained the same like before, yet the family members were confident of
him. They knew that he would leave no stone unturned to bring glory to
Indian hockey.

 4.
Amsterdam Olympics:A New Page in
History
When the first Indian hockey team set off for the Amsterdam Olympics,
no one ever dreamt that it was on its path to add a golden chapter in the
history of world hockey. Passing through difficult phases, the team finally
sailed to create history.
The family of Dhyanchand was enjoying every moment of this glory. In the
meantime, his younger brother, Roopsingh too took him up as his role model,
and dreamt that someday he too would accompany his brother abroad to play
hockey.
Dhyanchand and his team mounted the ship named Qaisar-e-Hind on 10th
March, 1928. His team comprised Allan, Rock, Helmond, Goodsir, Collin,
Khersingh, Pinningar, Getlay, Feroz Khan, KRA Nottis, Marthivans,
Seaman and Shaukat Ali. To see off the team and offer their good wishes,
only three people came to the port; they were Bern Murdoch, the President
of the Indian Hockey Federation, C.S. Bhattacharya and C.E. Newham.
It was the untiring effort of Major Murdoch that the hockey team was
finally sailing for the Olympics. Only these three people motivated Roger,
encouraged the team to return with glory. Nobody else came to see off the
team, but the players were bolstered.
The players enjoyed their voyage; they visited all the prominent places
enroute. Gradually, cold waves swept and many of Dhyanchand’s
teammates fell ill as Voyage was a tough time for many people. Continuous
journey on the sea brings gloom and dejection to the mind, and when the
sea is rough, such feelings are even more intense. However, the teammates
faced all this turmoil in the company one after another; they all knit like one
family, though they came from different parts of India.
Finally, on 30th March, 1928, the team arrived at its destination. The entire
area was engulfed in fog and
cold wave. Like Bombay (now Mumbai), there was no one to welcome the
team. They wrapped themselves in the woollen cloth as best as they could
and dismounted the ship. Facing scarcity of warm clothing, a few of them
wrapped their blankets and covered themselves. For them, cold in England
was too extreme to withstand. The team moved ahead after formal
introduction with some officials, but no one had come from the press. An
officer took Dhyanchand’s hand in his and shook it warmly, saying, “You are
welcome here. We have heard of your game.”
Dhyanchand only felt shy at this admiration. He managed only a tiny
smile in return.
Another officer said, “You will play a total of eleven matches here. This
will allow you an opportunity to learn and know European hockey. This
will also give you a fair idea of the hockey grounds here.”
The first officer added, “But the greatest thing is that during these games,
you will be able to understand each other well enough, only that would
strengthen the team.”
No doubt, the officers were quite right. The games are surely played with
a spirit of competition, yet they play a vital role in cultivating mutual
goodwill, rapport and intimate relations.
The players had been to England for the first time. So their enthusiasm
was something to watch. They desired to see all those tourist places in
particular, which they had read only in books. When you come face to face
with something you have seen only in pictures, the adventure is sure to be
unique.
Dhyanchand greatly liked the West-End and underground tube system.
The team had arrived there after a long voyage. So it could not get a proper
opportunity to practise hockey in the ground. Several practice matches were
scheduled in England.
During one of the matches, the Indian team got a lesson; in the words of
Dhyanchand himself, it was distinctive of its kind. Once when they arrived
at a stadium for a match, they started to look for a servant or coolie to carry
their kits, but they could find none. Just then, they saw the opponent team
players coming to the ground carrying their kits themselves. They carried
their kits in a very spontaneous manner; apparently, they did not need any
assistance to carry their kits. The Indian players understood this fact well
that a player could be small or big, novice or professional, every player was
expected to carry his kit himself. This was a lesson worth learning and they
never forgot this ever after.
This time the players possessed colourful dreams in their eyes; but they
knew it well enough that to realise dreams, they ought to work hard with
patience, confidence and perseverance. During the practice matches, they
tried their best to polish their skills. All this time, the British press did not
pay much attention to them. Whatever the matches they played, only the
presence of the audience was too much. They found an opportunity to take
part in the supreme hockey festival called ‘Folkston’. This festival was
celebrated from 31st March to 21st April. The number of audience was
quite large in the matches played under this festival. The hosts – the British
– had launched their best team, the national team for these matches. It
comprised nine international players too. Thousands of people thronged the
stadium to encourage and support their home team.
People saw how the Indian team player Dhyanchand was making the
home team work for every single advantage with their sweat. The British
were considered to be the champions in hockey those days, but today, the
Indian team was showing them their actual place. Their high-level officers
were feeling shame and with depression, with hesitation to the extent that
they doubted if their team ought to go for the Olympics at all. Their native
players bent their heads to their chests, and the Indian players had
responded well to their critics, especially those who never wished to send
the Indian players to the foreign soil. It was for the first time they felt that
these players were talented and skilled enough to carve out a place for
themselves even on the foreign soil.

 5.
1928 – Golden Glory
With his talent at his side, Dhyanchand proved to the British that his
country might have been under the foreign rule. Yet when it came to playing
hockey, they excelled them by miles, and there was none who could match
them up in this field.
The Indian team finally arrived in Amsterdam on 14th April, 1928.
The Dutch people adopted a friendly attitude for them. This occurrence
was of great importance so far as the life of Dhyanchand was concerned. He
set himself apart from all type of activities that were not concerned with the
game. For the upcoming matches he was completely focussed on the game.
The team took rest in the hotel for the first three days.

This time a total of nine countries were taking part in the Olympics
hockey championship – India, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Australia,
Denmark, France, Switzerland and Spain. All teams were divided into two
pools, and the victorious team was to get the gold medal.
In these Olympic Games, the women athletes were taking part in the track
and field events for the first time. A new and massive stadium was
constructed for this purpose, the seating capacity of which was close to
40,000. The audience welcomed the 3,000 players with a standing ovation.
The defeat in the Folkston festival was no less than a shock for the
English team. The English officials had seen their players walk out of the
stadium with heads hanging in shame after their tumultuous defeat, and it
was at this hour that they had decided not to take part in the Olympics.
They remained firm on this decision, and they did not allow their home
team to play in the Olympics. Possibly, they could not bear the brunt of
such a large-scale defeat by the Indians.
Equipped with the indomitable spirit to go all out for the gold medal, the
Indian players played their first game on 17th May. It was the time when
they had to display their skills against Australia. The weather was pleasant
and the Indian players were in high spirits. They played as if they knew
every one of the rival team. The game proved to be a very easy one and
they defeated the opponents by six goals; four of which were scored by
Dhyanchand alone, and the remaining two were scored by Getley and
Shaukat Ali. This was an opportune time to show their skills for which they
had travelled thousands of miles.
The next match on 18th May was to be played against Belgium. The
Indian team took to the field with some changes, and this bore fruit as the
team won the match by nine goals.
The visitors were now greatly delighted by the skill of the Indian team.
They loved their agility and talent. In the very first game, the Indian team
won by six goals, of which four were scored by Dhyanchand. This drew the
attention towards him. It is truly said that the splendour of the sun could not
be eclipsed, even if the sun wished it by itself.
The entire stadium was echoing with the name of Dhyanchand. The
hockey fans were thankful to the Heaven for having witnessed a player who
played the game with a mission, for whom playing hockey was not just like
a game but a holy task, a ceremony, a meditation. He had dedicated his
entire life for this game.
The Indian team played its next match on 20th May against Denmark. The
Danish goalkeeper was fully alive to the danger posed by Dhyanchand. So
he applied all his tricks to foil his attempts to score a goal, but how could he
stop a tempest from coming! India defeated Denmark in this match by five
goals to nil.
In the three matches, no other team could score a goal against India. The
semi-final match was held on 22nd May, which was played against
Switzerland. The Indian team won it quite easily, scoring six goals to nil.
The audience was wonderstruck to see the talent of the Indian players,
while the team was now in the finals.
Everybody was bewildered how it was that no other team had yet
succeeded to score a goal against the Indian team. After having defeated
Switzerland in the semi-finals, they were now to take on Holland in the
finals.
The people in the stands were all talking in the same tone.
“Which team do you think will win the final?” asked an youth.
 The other one responded by shaking hand, “Are you blind to the fact what
has happened so far in hockey. Which team other than India deserves this?
Which other team could carry the gold?”
“Of course, you are quite right. Whether it is the Indian goalkeeper
Richard Allen or centre-forward Dhyanchand, nobody seems to have got rid
of them.”
“Yes, quite rightly, it would be better to call Dhyanchand the magician of
hockey. It appears that the ball dances to his cues,” one more civilised
woman gave her opinion.
The people were all unanimous in their estimate that it was no other than
the Indian team that would emerge victorious in the India-Holland final
match.
However, the Indian camp was undergoing some adverse situations. There
are occasions in life when circumstances outweigh encouragement and
vitality of an individual. Until now, all the Indian players had been in a
good form and they had proved their mettle on the ground in no uncertain
terms, but by the time they approached the finals, the situation had
undergone a transformation, somewhat unfavourable to them.
A few years later, Dhyanchand himself expressed the state of his mind
that prevailed at that time. He said that golden glory of Indian cricket
history did not descend on them so easily. All the five matches that they had
played until then had been extraordinary. The foreigners had admitted with
an open mind that the Indian hockey team had overcome all their
adversaries quite easily. Dhyanchand too was admired greatly.
However, there were a few obstacles before becoming world champions.
For the ultimate match, Jaipal Singh was not available. Some other fine
players of the team were vulnerable to illness. Feroz Khan, Shaukat Ali and
Kher Singh were incapable to participate in the game due to illness. Not
only this, Dhyanchand himself was unwell too. He was suffering from
fever. The team manager could see well that the team was not in a position
to play with its fine players, but they had no choice but to contest.
The team manager said to Dhyanchand, “Dhyanchand, I am aware that
you have been suffering from high fever since last evening. Life is the
greatest gift, and the world exists only if you are alive. If you wish, you are
free not to play the match. Health comes first. I suppose you would not be
able to display your best skills with this fever and infirmity.”
 Dhyanchand responded, “Sir, I am a soldier, and the first duty of a soldier
is to protect the honour of his country. We might not be in a battlefield
today, but the honour of my country is certainly at stake. We have to
establish the supremacy of our nation in the playground. I have no other
alternative but to enter the field and play. Victory or defeat, I shall be there
on the ground with all my physical infirmity to play as best as I can. There
are few opportunities in anybody’s life to illuminate the country’s name
abroad, and just that opportunity is right here.”
Determination and words emanating from Dhyanchand’s mouth
encouraged the manager too. He said, “Well then, soldiers, enter the hockey
field. The slogan for you today is – Do or die!”
As soon as Dhyanchand took to the field, he blocked any thoughts that
reminded him of his fever or physical infirmity, or that his team lacked the
finest players. He did not allow any negativity or weakness to descend on
his mind. It is truly said, you are lost if you are lost in the mind, and you
win if you are determined to win in the mind.
Today was the time when they had to make their mind victorious. The
birds might have burnt their wings, but they were still resolved to fly. On
that day, the stadium was full to capacity. As many as 50,000 people came
to watch the match. The Indians displayed a high quality game. Agility,
team work and coordination worked well when the finest techniques were
employed; all this made their game something remarkable to watch. Finally,
India defeated Holland 3-0, two of these goals had been scored by
Dhyanchand himself.
It was 26th May, 1928 when the world admitted the supremacy of Indian
hockey skills. The Indian team became the world champion. The
goalkeeper, Allen too had set a fine record in the entire series. He had not
allowed the ball to go past him into the goal post in any of the five matches
he played.
These records set in the Olympic Games were glorious. People sang in
praise of the team. The newspapers competed with each other to admire the
Indian team. The foreign players too admired the qualities of the Indian
hockey team, and admitted publicly that India was simply incomparable so
far as it pertained to playing hockey.
Delineating India’s victory in the Olympics, a journalist noted: “This was
no game of hockey. It was like magic unfolding. There can be no doubt that
Dhyanchand is the magician of hockey.”
 Another journalist wrote in another newspaper: “It is, in fact, not
important how many goals Dhyanchand scored. What is more important is
the fact how he scored them.”
On 29th May, the Indian team shone the country’s name with the gold
medal in their grasp.
On return to India, the team manager Roger Amsterderm submitted his
report to the Indian Hockey Federation. He remarked towards the close of
the report: “The demonstration of the Indian team was grand. They proved
that a game like hockey could be made the greatest of games if some
qualities are infused into it, such as agility, rapid speed, sharp sight, team
work and skilled stick work, and rapid invasion of the adversary defence
lines. The Indian team played as a first-class hockey team ought to have
played.”
The Indian players were overwhelmed with the fact that they could bring
glory to their country. In the words of Dhyanchand himself, “I cannot just
elaborate upon the hospitality that we received in Holland. We were just
like heroes to them. They held a number of feasts in our honour. We got an
opportunity to meet a number of respectable people.”
“On the contrary, when we returned via England, the people there did not
pay much attention towards us. The Indian diaspora there arranged a party
in our honour. We stayed in London for a few days before finally sailing for
the home soil.”
When the Indian team left for the motherland, the players never knew how
restless India was with a desire to welcome the sons of the soil. They had
only one thing in mind. It was the fact that only three people had come to
see them off at the port. And now when they were returning, will there be
any addition to this number? They were not so sure, if it would at all matter
to anybody that the team was returning with a gold medal in the Olympics.
But the Indian hockey players were not right in their conjecture. The
seaport at Bombay (now Mumbai) thronged with people on their arrival. It
appeared as if people desired to set right their earlier shortcoming. All
arrangements were made to receive the heroes as it ought to be for a team
that had touched the sky at the Olympics. Whichever way you looked at the
station, you would find heads and heads. The Mayor of Bombay, Dr. G.V.
Deshmukh arrived himself to welcome the players. Two other political
leaders too welcomed the players. The high officials who could not attend
the welcome, sent their messages through their representatives. The Indian
players grew emotional. They felt that they were the subject of the country’s
affection only due to their commitment to the game.
The entire city of Bombay wished to see the resolute team that had hoisted
India’s flag in a far-flung place. A great many feasts and welcomes were
held, and Dhyanchand was naturally the focal point of all this.
During one such occasion, an individual said to him, “Dhyanchand, just
yesterday I received a cutting from a Dutch newspaper which describes that
your hockey stick works like a magic wand. You can carry the ball
wherever you wish to.”
Dhyanchand laughed. During the conversation, he told the host couple
that it was often a bone of contention when it came to his hockey stick. The
opponents wanted to touch it to ensure that it did not have any adhesive by
which the ball stuck; some of them wished to break it apart to ensure that
there was no magnet in it. They were all surprised to the fact that the ball
never parted once it happenned to come in contact of his hockey stick.
Dhyanchand only shrugged whenever such things came up before him. He
would just laugh away, but such talks never died down. Rumours about his
stick kept on emerging year after year. In fact, nobody could ever believe
that an ordinary person could play in such an unbelievable way. It is also
said that once the wife of a high English official had asked him to play with
her umbrella in place of the hockey stick, and he did it equally well.
Dhyanchand describes an incident involving his hockey stick. He said,
“During half-time in a match, I was busy talking with a member of the
opponent team, when his wife changed the hockey sticks of the two. As
usual, I kept playing and scoring goals after goals after the half-time too.
However, I could well guess that my hockey stick had been changed, but
this change of stick did not affect my game a bit.”
People often gathered around him to ask for his autographs. Dhyanchand
was so popular, yet he did not change his ways. He was still a shy and
hesitant young man who did not wish anything but to play hockey. Before
the team left Bombay, they played a friendly match with the West Indian
Hockey Federation and won it too. Now, hockey was a passion in India, and
the contribution of the Indian hockey team could not be negated in this in
any way.
After the celebration of the Olympic Games was over, all the players
returned to their posts, and so did Dhyanchand. He returned to his billet in
the Punjab Regiment. His colleagues welcomed him like their hero.
Whenever they had time at their disposal, they would sit around him and
demand for more and more anecdotes. They were always curious to know
about the exciting incidents that took place during the tour. Dhyanchand
remained a shy man. He did not undergo a change despite all such
popularity. Whenever he was admired in exaggerative terms, he would just
step back in hesitation. Maybe, this is the mark of a humble man. He feels
humility when admired. A fruited tree is bound to bend down with the good
possessions it has.
Dhyanchand grew popular as a centre-forward position player. People
were fascinated and charmed to the extreme on listening to the tales of his
game. He was associated with the Punjab Hockey Tournaments for a long
time. His talent made even the finest of players retreat into oblivion. Often a
bid was made to surround him in the game. The opponents schemed how to
track and keep him under control. It is said that during a match in
Rawalpindi, the opponent centre-half lost his cool and hit him on the nose.
The game was suspended immediately. Dhyanchand underwent minor
medical treatment. Soon he returned to the ground with the bandage on his
nose. He said to the opponent player, “Play carefully, no man must be hurt.”
That day he scored six goals. Instead of showing his anger on that player, he
excelled in his game and proved that there was nothing in the world that
could hinder him from playing his best.
During this time, when Dhyanchand once visited his family on leave, he
came to know that his younger brother Roopsingh too was taking interest in
hockey. He too wanted to follow in the footsteps of his elder brother and
become a great hockey player himself.
Dhyanchand had become a role model for thousands of people in the
world. How then could his own younger brother remain aloof from this
influence? Dhyanchand never got an opportunity to teach his brother the
skills and fine techniques of the game, yet he would certainly point out his
shortcomings whenever an opportunity arose. What a player needs more
than applaud and admiration is a true critic, who could point out his
shortcomings and errors, so that he could improve upon them and become
better with each passing day.
Dhyanchand’s family lived in Jhansi. He set up the ‘Jhansi Heroes Hockey
Club’ there. Whenever he visited home, he would play hockey with the
local chaps. Roopsingh too had started his hockey career from there.
 Under his leadership, the team won a number of prizes. In December
1931, his team won against the team of Manavdar state. At that time, the
Nawab of Kurwai gave him a prize and said, “This prize stands nowhere
before the high prestige of a great player like him.”

 6.
1932 – Los Angeles
In 1932, the Olympics were scheduled to be held in Los Angeles. The
hockey players were infinitely jubilant, but the Hockey Federation was in a
dilemma. The difficulty was just the same as it had experienced the
previous time four years ago. It lacked funds to send the players abroad, and
there were many reasons for this turmoil. This place was two times more
distant than Amsterdam, So the fare would approximately be no less than
double. Secondly, many of the high officials were of the view that the
Indian Hockey Federation should not send the team to the Olympics
because a number of hockey-playing nations were not taking part in the
games. They were not willing to grant sanction to spend such a large
amount of money for this.
Actually, we are talking about that period when people did not take games
so seriously. The players played the game keeping their national prestige in
mind, but they hoped for little encouragement and support from the
government and political leaders. In fact, nobody could be blamed for this
negative situation. The intellectual section is bound to take a view keeping
the situation of the place and time in mind. The country was under the
foreign rule. The English were the masters. So it was natural for the leaders
to pay more attention to the issues pertaining to freedom. This difference in
priorities posed a problem before the federation, especially the lack of
funds.
It is said that God helps those who help themselves. When there is no
other way out, the Almighty sends his messenger. This time too, Hayman,
the President of the Indian Hockey Federation as well as a member of the
Railway Board, stepped forward. He took over the responsibility for
managing the funds. The honorary secretary of the Hockey Federation,
Pankaj Gupta decided to extend his hands to him. A large fund was required
to send the entire team, and this requirement could not be fulfilled by
seeking money from a few people. So they planned for a bank loan. It might
appear strange, but they were confident that they would be able to get a loan
somehow. They had planned that the team could repay the amount from the
funds; the team would manage from the games. They put forward their
scheme before other people. They confronted negative comments more than
support, but they were resolved in their endeavour, and, finally, they
succeeded to get a bank loan.
We shall make it a special point to express our gratitude to the Punjab
National Bank that conceived the problem being faced by the hockey
federation, and approved to issue a loan by which the players could be sent.
No words will suffice to describe their liberal attitude.
While the Hockey Federation was busy accumulating funds from its
different sources, Dhyanchand was busy in his regimental duties. He rarely
got an opportunity to go through the newspapers. Yet he managed to get
fresh news from his friends, officers and brother. There was yet another
difference that had taken place. Until the year 1928, most of the decisions
pertaining to hockey were taken by the Army Sports Control Board. So he
used to get the latest news regularly; but now the scenario had undergone a
change. As he lived away from the civil area in the cantonment, there were
a few occasions when he got to know things. Dhyanchand was not aware
even of the fact whether he would be included in the Olympic Games this
time or not.
When he came to know that the Indian Hockey Federation had decided
upon sending the team to the Olympics, his delight knew no bounds. He
was well aware that it was no child’s play to manage funds for the event,
but when he came to know of the involvement of the Punjab National Bank,
he was assured that no obstacle could be too high for him and his team to
sail abroad in order to hoist the Indian flag in the international arena is not
faraway.
The common opinion in the army was that Dhyanchand’s talent needed no
test, and he was recommended to be selected for the team without
undergoing any formality. This was the reason that when the issue of
granting him 15 days’ leave arose to attend the selection camp, the regiment
officers refused to grant the permission.
Dhyanchand was aware that he would be selected in the team without any
formality, yet he felt restless; because. at this time, many of the players
were trying their best to be a part of the team.
Despite the bank loan from the Punjab National Bank, the funds were not
yet sufficient to manage the tour. So, there was need to undertake the inter-
state hockey tournament in order to collect funds for the Olympic tour. This
was an important task. Like the last time, the Bengal Hockey Federation
came forward this time too. It not only donated money for the tour, it also
managed to organise the inter-state tournament. Its contribution is second to
none so far as it comes to the development of hockey.
Dhyanchand wished that he should get an opportunity to play in the
matches being held in Calcutta so that he could get a chance to come across
the new talents; but he could not join the tournament even as a spectator. He
had to find solace in the few newspaper cuttings that he could manage to
fetch. The hockey tournament was participated by ten teams, and two test
matches were held for the final selection of the team for the Olympics.
With this, the names of the players for the Olympics were announced.
Only when Dhyanchand found his name in the list published in the
newspapers, he came to know that he was part of the team going to the
Olympics. As far as his family was concerned, it was still a greater moment
for them, because his brother Roopsingh too had been included in the
Olympic team representing the United Provinces, and now he was ready for
his first tournament abroad.

 7.
Constitution of the Olympic Team
The members of the hockey team for the 1932 Olympics were as follows:
Goalkeeper
Richard J. Allen (Bengal)
A.C. Hind (Punjab)
Back
C. Topsel (Bengal)
L.C. Hammond (United Provinces)
S. Aslam (Punjab)
Half Back
F. Bruvin (Bombay)
S. Lal Shah Bukhari (Punjab, Captain)
Masood Minhas (Punjab)
E.C. Pininger (Punjab)
Forward
R.J. Kar (Railway)
Gurmit Singh (Punjab)
Dhyanchand (Army)
Roopsingh (United Provinces)
Syed Mohammad Zafar (Punjab)
W.P. Sullivan (Bombay)
Professor G.D. Sondhi, the honorary secretary of the Indian Olympic
Council and a professor of Lahore Government College was appointed the
manager of the team. Pankaj Gupta was made the assistant manager.
Hayman, the President of the Indian Hockey Federation went with the
team in his personal capacity in order to support the team, and he provided
financial assistance whenever needed. The team was made to undertake a
bond that the players would not get any allowance admissible to them, and
that, on their return from abroad, they would all have to play the matches
organised by the Council so that the loan amount could be repaid.
All players were very enthusiastic to visit Europe. They all belonged to
the middle-class families, but they did not run after money. It was more
than enough for them that they were taking part in an event on behalf of
their country.
The Indian Olympic team gathered in Bhopal on 14 May, 1932. The
people of Bhopal organised a grand feast in their honour. After this, they
played two matches with the Aligarh Muslim University and Bhopal
Combined Eleven.
When the third match was going on with the Bombay Customs, heavy
rains interrupted the match and it was abandoned, but this team was leading
the opponents. Those very days, Bombay witnessed massive communal
riots, leading to a great fall in the number of audience.
After this, all of them headed for Bangalore and defeated the Combined
Bangalore team 3-1. When the team arrived at Madras (now Chennai), they
were delighted at the welcome that they received there. They felt as if they
were back to a comfortable situation like in their hometown. Their fans
surrounded them at all times. Even the bearers in the hotel did not hesitate
to seek their autographs. What could be a greater satisfaction and joy for a
player that his work was being appreciated by the fans?
 After playing a few more matches, the Olympic team left for Colombo.
They boarded the Ceylon Boatmail, a ship. From Talmannar, they had to
take a smaller boat for further journey. For Dhyanchand, the journey to Sri
Lanka reminded him of the mythological tale of Lord Rama. In fact, he was
now face to face with the places that he had read about in the Ramayana.
During this journey, he even confronted the rude attitude and behaviour of
the railway workers at Talmannar. C. Topsel, a hockey player, had come
with his sister, who was much interested in hockey. She wished that she
would travel with her brother to Colombo, see his plays and return to India
from there. Pankaj Gupta tried his best to arrange a berth for her, but the
railway workers were not at all ready to accommodate this demand. Even
the presence of a senior officer of the Indian Railway Board did not make
them budge from their standpoint.
On 27th May, the day of their arrival in Colombo, the team got a
surprising letter from Lord Irwin. Lord Irwin had written them with his
good wishes. He said, “Please convey my good wishes to the Indian
Olympics team on my behalf for a successful tour. We shall watch their
matches here with great curiosity and interest.”
Two matches were played in Colombo, one with the Sri Lankan joint team
and the other with Lanka Eleven. Both the matches were won by the Indian
team. The then Governor of Sri Lanka, Graeme Thompson visited the
stadium to watch the matches. At the close of the match, he remarked, “Ah,
is the match really over? I felt as if I was watching the match only for five
minutes, so absorbed I was!”

 8.
An Eventful Voyage
The voyage commenced on 30th May aboard NYK Darun Maru, a
Japanese ship. The Japanese crew welcomed the team. The captain offered
garlands to all the team members and then a group photograph was taken.
The journey until Singapore was comfortable. There was no scarcity of
food and lodging. The players got their favourite food without any
difficulty. On the foreign soil, what an individual misses the most is his
native food, because it varies at every place like food habits, local climate
according to traditions.
The entire team used to pass the time on the deck sitting on the chairs.
Only eight chairs could be managed on hire. So they shared them among
themselves. Roopsingh, younger brother of Dhyanchand, too was part of the
team. As the Indian tradition goes, the younger people remain silent before
their elders. So was the case with him, he evaded to be at the places where
his elder brother was present. Whenever Dhyanchand walked to the deck,
Roopsingh would find some excuse to move away. Soon Dhyanchand
realised his trouble. Thereafter, he always tried not to go to the deck when
Roopsingh was already there, because he did not want his brother to miss
any joy on his first foreign tour.
The ship sailed for one full week to arrive in Singapore. The voyage from
Singapore to Hong Kong was difficult. The route was often subjected to
tempests and storms. Therefore, the Indian team was scared that they might
have to face rough weather, which could be unfavourable to their health.
Luckily enough, no such untoward incident occurred, and their journey
remained safe and sound. They reached Hong Kong on 8th June.
They were scheduled to play a few hockey matches there too, but heavy
rains had filled up the grounds with water. So the scheduled matches had to
be called off. The positive result of this was that they got an opportunity to
visit the places there. The Indian team divided itself into a number of groups
and Dhyanchand was part of the group led by Gupta. They first visited a
departmental store, which was a place worth visiting. They all appreciated
the tourist places. They even faced financial scarcity, but it did not have any
adverse impact on their excitement to go to places.
 Then began their journey to Shanghai. The voyage until reaching there was
quite cumbersome, as the massive storms struck the ship hard. No matches
were scheduled in Shanghai. So they visited the places. Those days, Japan
and China were undergoing strained relations. So the atmosphere was tense.
The Indian team decided that they would visit a Sikh temple located in the
suburbs. They visited the place under the alert watch of the suspicious
Japanese troops.
The team now set off on their further journey to Kobe. The menu cards on
the ship had been designed in an aesthetic and elegant Japanese style. Often
the players competed with each other to possess them as mementoes.
On 13th June, the ship crew arranged for a Sayonara dinner in order to
honour the players as well as bid them farewell. The entire ship was
decorated with colourful objects. All the players enjoyed the feast to the
extreme. After this, Pankaj Gupta called for an informal meeting in which
they discussed who to select the vice captain of the team. This
responsibility was assigned to the team. The names of Pininger, Allen and
Hammond were proposed. Finally, the selection was made by voting. Allen
secured the most number of votes. So he was appointed the vice captain of
the Indian hockey team.
The next morning they could see the faint shoreline of Japan, but the ship
was stopped short of the shore. Suddenly, the Japanese police officers
boarded the ship and started checking the luggage of all passengers. The
atmosphere grew tense all of a sudden. In fact, it was a routine exercise in
which all the people approaching Japan from China were searched in that
manner. They reached Kobe the next morning. They were once again
searched there, and their cameras were taken away. At Kobe, a large crowd
welcomed them. Many people stood there raising hockey sticks in their
honour. There were a number of Indians living in Japan those days. During
this visit, the Indian team met Rasbehari Bose. He had come to the port to
wish them ‘good luck’.
During their two-day stay at Kobe, the team played a total of two matches,
winning both of them. They defeated the Kansai Hockey Club by 22 goals
and the Kobe Recreation Club by 16 goals. They played yet another
friendly match with the Indians living in Kobe.
The Indians living in Kobe offered a hearty welcome to the team. After
this, the team left for Tokyo by rail. Dhyanchand often shared his
experiences of the foreign tour with his friends. Once he said that during a
train journey, he saw a gentleman sitting beside Pankaj Gupta. Their
conversation revealed that he was none else but the Prime Minister of
Japan. This was a matter of great surprise for the friends.
Tokyo was a modern city. All the players were lodged in a clean and
comfortable hotel called Manapi. Many pretty Japanese girls worked in the
hotel. Need not to say that the atmosphere in the hotel was quite pleasant.
They stayed at Tokyo for five days, during which they played two matches.
The first match was played in the Meeji Monastery Stadium.
In this match played against Vaseda University, the beauty of this game
was that the Indians scored victory despite adverse conditions. The ground
was full of water and the Indian players did not have spiked shoes.
The second match was played against the All-Japan Eleven, which they
won by a comfortable margin of 11-0. Due to great hospitality of the
Indians living there, the team had to attend a great number of public
functions and feasts. They got an opportunity to meet a number of
dignitaries. During this time, a very interesting incident took place, which
made Dhyanchand laugh whenever he recollected it later.
When the Japanese hockey officials saw him score one goal after another
in a consecutive series, they could not hide their curiosity. Finally, they
asked for Dhyanchand’s hockey stick, broke it into pieces to see if there
was any piece of magnet hidden in it, which made the ball stick to it,
depriving the opponent players any chance to even touch the ball. When the
officials were assured of no foul play, a new hockey stick was given to him,
but Dhyanchand got down to his job of scoring goals as if nothing had
happened in the meantime.
This incident revealed how simple he was. He was shockingly simple.
Despite being such a high-profile hockey player, ego had not come
anywhere near him.

 9.
Aloha-Aloha
For their onward journey, they boarded a ship named ‘Tatsuta Maru’ from
Yokohama. On this ship were also travelling a number of hockey team
players representing different countries of Asia, who were heading for the
Olympics to participate in the games. Thus, the ship transformed into a
small stadium. Each team wished to continue practice, and they all got a
plenty of time for this. The Indian players practised in the morning. Then
the track event of 100-metre race was held. There was also a swimming
pool on the ship, which was used by the swimmers for practice.
The ship touched Honolulu on 30th June. This place was called ‘the
paradise of the earth’. The players were delighted that they had got an
opportunity to visit such a scenic place. This place was the capital of the
province of Hawaii. The officiating chairman of the Hawaii Amateur
Athletic Association, Mrs. Fulerdlio gave a red-carpet welcome to all the
players.
That night a dinner was hosted for all the players heading for the
Olympics. After that, a dance programme was organised called Hula-Hula.
Everybody enjoyed it in their high spirits.
There were six Indians living in Hawaii at that time. One of them was
Govindram Jethanand Vatumal. He was one of the well-known merchants
of Honolulu. His American wife received the players. It was at the behest of
this couple that scholarship scheme for the Indians was started, by which
the talented Indian students could get an opportunity to study in America.
The Indian team was scheduled to set out for the final leg of their voyage.
Their destination was round the corner and they were now committed to
take up the coveted task of representing their country in the international
arena. This voyage had thrown them an opportunity to visit a number of
great places enroute. Each place offered them memories, bitter and sweet.
This voyage brought to them a chance to visit some of the most fantastic
places in the world. When the ship was about to set out, they were offered
bouquets, and Mrs. Fulderlio bid them farewell saying “Aloha-Aloha!”
These words meant that the journey might be auspicious for them. They
all expressed their gratitude for these good wishes. All the players were
asked to throw their flowers in the sea when they were in the middle of it.
The native people believed that if the garlands were washed ashore, they
would visit those colourful islands once again in their lives.
It is hard to mention whether those flowers ever reached the shore or not,
but the golden memories of Honolulu stayed forever in their minds for
many years to come.

 10.
Victory in 1932 Olympics
The journey after Honolulu proved quite painful, as America was
approaching fast, and cold winds were sweeping the entire watery surface
of the ocean. They stayed at San Francisco for two days from 6th July. The
players were welcomed in a civil function. The city mayor presented them a
replica key as a symbol of the city.
The Indian team started on its further journey, and this time they sailed on
the water for 42 days to reach San Pedro seaport. The players were fully
ready to introduce themselves. The press was there to offer them a special
welcome. They were photographed, and the entire team was requested for a
group photograph. In fact, the pretty and strange dress of the Indian players
was a point of attraction. They were wearing white pants, light blue coat
and brown shoes. The turbans on the heads made people guess if the team
comprised a few of the princes. The press shot a number of photographs,
and the following day, all the newspapers could be seen filled with the
news, description and anecdotes of the Indian hockey team.
The distance between the port and Los Angeles was covered by car. In
these Olympics, the hockey team was also accompanied by three athletes
and a swimmer representing India.
The Olympic Village had been built especially for the Olympic players, in
which each team was accommodated in small cottages comprising two
rooms each. The women players were accommodated in a separate
enclosure.
There was still time for the Olympics to start. So the Indian players
practised the game in a women sports stadium. Ice hockey was the only
hockey played in America. This was the first instance that people were
watching ground hockey.
The spectacular opening ceremony of the Olympic Games was held on
30th July. Greece led the Olympic parade. The stadium had provisions to
accommodate about one lakh people. The entire stadium was full to
capacity. When the Olympic parade of nations started, Lal Shah Bukhari,
captain of the Indian hockey team held the flag and led the contingent. As
they were then representing British India, he held the Union Jack. Their
dress and colourful turbans fascinated the onlookers. Possibly, this idea of
dressing came in the mind of Mr. Sondhi when he adopted it in the Indian
Olympic Council.
The host country America appeared in the parade at the end. The other
countries had given the opportunity to approach the stadium in alphabetical
order. The Indian hockey team played its first match against Japan on 4th
August, defeating it by 11 goals to 1. This goal by the Japanese team was of
historical importance, because it was for the first time that any opponent
team had ever succeeded to score a goal against India in the Olympics.
They had not faced any goals in the 1928 Olympics.
And when America was defeated at the hands of Japan, the Indian team
came face to face with America for a decisive match. India defeated the
American team by a mind-boggling score of 24 goals to 1.
This way India had set a world record of 24 goals in a single match. The
Indian team had been accorded the status of the world champions. A
newspaper in Los Angeles described the final match somewhat in these
words:
“Mr. G.D. Sondhi brought the Indian team to Los Angeles to defend their
title of the 1928 Olympics, and this team has rightly proved the tempest
which had shaken the opponent teams earlier. It has crushed all the
adversaries under its feet; and when it came to play against the United
States of America, they virtually forced the rivals out of the ground.”
The Indians had proved their supremacy in the game. The Indians residing
there were delighted and excited. Their Indian players had established
themselves in the world as the excellent leaders of the game.
Shri Pankaj Gupta, at a function in the Bible Hall in Los Angeles,
appealed to the people that the fund for the Indian players was running
short, and it took no time to collect 200 US dollars to make up the
shortcoming. The then viceroy of India sent his congratulatory note, which
said:
“The undersigned is greatly pleased to learn the victory of our hockey
team. Please offer my heartfelt good wishes to all the members of the team
for their successful effort to defend the world title. My heartiest
congratulations to you and the team!”
At Los Angeles, Dhyanchand and his comrades got an opportunity to
know about a number of new things as well as meet great people. They
examined the American style of living very closely. They also visited the
laboratory of
Dr. Robert Milliken, a Nobel-laureate physicist and the American film
industry situated at Hollywood. They visited a number of well-known film
studios and got an opportunity to meet a number of artists shooting there.
At each place they visited, they were received with open arms. After their
victory in the Olympics, they had become respectable guests for one and
all.
There was also a branch of the Ramakrishna Mission, where they met
Parmananda, a disciple of Swami Vivekananda. He was engaged in
propagating Vedanta there. It feels nice if one happens to come across
people belonging to one’s own country or speaking one’s own dialect. It
was by chance that they happened to meet yet another Indian spiritual guru,
Swami Yogananda, whose ashram was located at Mount Washington. Their
farewell dinner was held in the ashram. It was here that they got an
opportunity to taste mango, a popular and favourite Indian fruit, after
several months. They felt as if they had reached their native place.
On the morning of 15th August, the Indian hockey team left Los Angeles.
The platform was crowded, but most of the people had come there to see off
the European players.
The journey from Los Angeles to New York was quite a tiring one. Due to
lack of money, sleepers could not be arranged for them, and then, the food
was such which could not satisfy their appetite. One day, they also enjoyed
bathing in the famous Salt Lake and passed a day at Omaha. There they
played hockey in artificial light at night.

 11.
Marian Cricket Ground
After this, they reached Philadelphia. The hockey team was scheduled to
play a match, which proved to be very exciting and unforgettable. A special
feature of the match was that the Indian goalkeeper, Arther Hind was to
play from the side of the United States Eleven, and showing its liberal
attitude, the Indian hockey team permitted it too, and this was how Arthur
played from the opposite side.
India scored as many as 20 goals to 1 in this ground in Philadelphia, and
defeated the rivals quite badly.
Undoubtedly, many of the newspapers presented this aspect of defeat in
the right perspective when they appreciated the liberal attitude of the Indian
hockey team to lend their goalkeeper, saying: “Had they not allowed their
goalkeeper to play from the opposite side, there is every possibility that
their defeat could have been even worse, because the home team did not
play well at all.”
Another newspaper presented this incident in quite a different style. It
wrote: “These Indians did not set out from their country with some noble
objective. Right from the moment the match started to the final minute, they
kept crushing the inexperienced whites until there was need to take one
player to the hospital. Of course, they showed mercy to the American
players by lending their goalkeeper to the opponent team for the half time.”
Thus, defeating the American teams, the Indian hockey team arrived in
New York, where it was scheduled to stay for five days. The people of
Indian origin there welcomed them. They availed this opportunity to visit a
number of places including Wall Street, Fifth Avenue, Empire State
Building, Madison Square Garden and a number of other interesting places.
They also visited Kenny Island, where they passed one whole day merrily.
From New York, they left for South Hampton. On the way, they passed by
the Statue of Liberty, looking at which, Dhyanchand got overwhelmed.
They were all spellbound to see that elegant statue which has been witness
to history and glory of the United States of America.
Their sojourn in England was no different from the one they had
experienced the last time. The people did not pay even a slight attention to
the Indian hockey team. The players wished to play a few matches there
too, but it was declined saying that it was not a suitable season for playing
hockey. It was clear that they did not want to be defeated badly at the hands
of the Olympic champions – Indians, and so all sorts of excuses were being
put forward.
The Indian hockey players did not say a word, but they did not miss this
opportunity to express their glory and joy in a hushed manner. They were of
the opinion that they had scared the English with their courageous hockey
skills. Though in the game only they had at least managed to embarrass and
certainly succeeded to disrespect the British.
The players had made the officers agree that they would tour Europe
before returning to India, and the expenses on this account would be made
up from the exhibition matches they would play back home. So, now there
was no problem regarding the expenditure. They would play matches
wherever they got an opportunity, and if a country enroute did not wish to
play, they would simply tour the places and move on to the next stage of
their journey. It would not be out of place to mention here that the entire
journey had been a fine mix of good and bad memories, and all this made it
a very thrilling and pleasant one.

 12.
Dhyanchand’s Dilemma
When the Indian hockey team was about to depart from India to play
abroad, Dhyanchand nursed a doubt if he should go to Los Angeles to play
hockey there or not. Would it be worthwhile to undertake such a long
voyage in order to play hockey with countries like Japan and America? In
the initial stages, he was unable to approve of this, but later, he admitted
that this decision had not been an inappropriate one.

The decision to participate in the games was based on a sound reasoning,

and it was so apt that it made Dhyanchand virtually change his perception.
In fact, hockey had been part of the Olympics for a long time, but it was
gradually dropped off. However, it was once again in 1928 that it was
included in the Olympic Games, where the Indian team established its
supremacy. There was every possibility that had India refused to participate
in the games, hockey could not have been included in the Olympics, and
this game would have found itself out of the Olympics.
The Indian hockey team’s taking part in the 1932 Olympic Games was on
apt decision, and they came true on everybody’s expectations too. Though
much had not changed in the continent so far as the attitude of people to
hockey was concerned, yet it can be said that more and more people were
now interested to play and watch hockey as compared to 1928.
The German Hockey Federation sent a message that it would bear all
expenses of the team if it visited Germany for the matches. Thus, all the
players headed for Germany. There they played a series of nine matches in
nine different cities. International matches were also played against teams
belonging to Holland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Amsterdam and Hungary.
Refreshing the memories of the matches on this tour, Dhyanchand often
spoke of this match played in Berlin. He said that they defeated Berlin
Eleven by 4 goals to nil, but the opponent team players took to the field in a
very artistic and sophisticated manner, and they prevented the team from
scoring a number of goals, and their effort was admirable. A few of the
incidents that took place during the tour were such that Dhyanchand would
not have revealed due to his introvert nature. However, when Hayman
described this incident in his book, Dhyanchand too admitted it quite shyly.
As a matter of fact, Dhyanchand was now a renowned name in the field;
and if one did not know him, he would become his fan after he watched his
performance on the field even in one match. One of such fans was a young
dame from Czechoslovakia. She was attracted to a skilled player like
Dhyanchand. At the end of the match, she came to him and said, “You look
like an angel.” There was nothing remarkable in this incident, but when she
proposed to kiss him, Dhyanchand was fully bewildered. This incident took
place over 8 decades ago. Moreover, Dhyanchand, born and brought up
according to Indian culture, could not have accepted such an offer. He
thanked the young lady and moved back quickly. The sentence that poured
out of his lips again and again was: “I am sorry…I am married…I am
sorry…I am married.”
The readers might find this quite strange in today’s context, but true
Indians are just like this. They might have been far from their home soil,
but they did not give up their glorious traditions and customs.
In his autobiography, Dhyanchand wrote clearly that he would not have
mentioned this incident to anybody had it not been published in a book.
Yet another incident took place there which only brought the players’
helplessness to the fore. You might know that this was the time of 1932
when India was under the foreign rule, and the Indian team had to play its
matches under the Union Jack.
An incident that took place in Germany was such which he could not
reveal to anybody; however, after the country gained freedom, he got an
opportunity to describe his dejection and helplessness.
Taraknath Das was exiled in Germany those days. He was staying at the
same hotel where the Indian players were staying. When he saw the Indian
Olympic team with the Union Jack, he was furious and criticised Pankaj
Gupta very vociferously. He exhorted them to play under their native flag.
They were quite helpless to do anything about this. Gupta anyhow managed
the situation from going out of control. The matter was suppressed so that
this incident might not leak out.
 They underwent different types of experiences at different places. They
had to prove their mettle under all circumstances, favourable or
unfavourable. In the match played at Budapest, they defeated the opponent
team, but the victory margin was only of five goals, which was due to the
fact that the ground for hockey game was too small and in a very pitiable
state.
Yet another factor that contributed to this was that the players had just
arrived half-an-hour before the match to be played at Budapest there from
Vienna after a long journey. Moreover, they were running short of two
players due to injuries. However, these two injured players consented to
play, and it was how the strength of the team could be made up. Otherwise,
the things had come to such a passé that even Sondhi and Gupta, the higher
officials accompanying the team, would have to enter the field to cooperate
with the team, and they were happy to do even this.
Reading these memoirs, we are left wondered how simple the people and
players were at that time. They all lived together and stood by each other
without any ego or pride. They behaved like pearls of the same rosary.
Whenever they confronted a problem, they all faced it together in place of
hiding away their faces in their cabins. They found out solutions to every
problem together. The lessons of team work and collective sentiments are
taught in the game, but it appears that they all had learnt these lessons rather
well.

 13.
The Olympic Team Returns to India
After this, Indian Team journeyed via Vienna, Florence, Rome and Naples
to reach Colombo. On the way, Pankaj Gupta received a memorandum of
gratitude from the director of the Indian Olympic Council.
This said that the Indian team had now become a part of his family. This
sojourn had been very pleasant due to his untiring efforts. They expressed
his gratitude on behalf of all players, which had taken the game to the
zenith of popularity and success.
On return to India, the Olympic team had to play a total of ten matches.
They won eight of them and two were drawn. These two drawn matches
were played against Bombay Customs and Lahore United.
When the team arrived at Bombay, the then mayor of the city received the
players at Victoria Terminus. Now, these players were no unknown players.
They were the great players of the Indian hockey team which had brought
glory to the country in the entire world. Their achievements were a matter
of pride, not only for themselves, but also for the entire country.
As decided before, the Indian team played all the scheduled matches to
repay the expenses. Still they were short of three thousand rupees, a grand
sum those days. It was at this hour of need that Hayman stepped ahead. He
was a great lover of the game. He made up for this shortage of money.
Dhyanchand often remembered this great person with respect and
affection. When the team had played its last match in Lahore and bid adieu,
Dhyanchand took a few days’ leave to go to Jhansi. The people of Jhansi
were eagerly waiting for their loved ones. They welcomed him, now a
renowned player on the international arena. Although, friends were curious
to hear all from Dhyanchand himself.
When Dhyanchand climbed down at the Jhansi railway station, he was
astonished to see the gathering there. People covered him with garlands
right up to his head. Hockey sticks were joined to make a welcome gate for
him towards the exit. He was taken home in a large procession. Glory and
prestige abroad could not match the affectionate honour and respect that an
individual gets at home.
A number of feasts and seminars were thrown in his honour in Jhansi.
After his friends and relatives had a chance to welcome him, it was the turn
of the members of the Heroes Club. The McDonald High School declared a
half-day in his honour. This was a great honour for Dhyanchand and his
younger brother, Roopsingh. They were fully absorbed in fine sentiments.

 14.
Pleasant Memories of Jhansi
When something sees the light of the day, it does not take long for it to
spread like wild fire. Something like that took place here too. People were
whispering that Dhyanchand had an offer of a good post from the Railways,
and he was actively considering to quit the army and join it. In fact, this
rumour was not completely false. Actually, Mr. Hayman had offered him a
job in the Railways, but Dhyanchand was not able to take any firm decision.
He met General Duncan in Lahore, and he assured him that he would take
care of the soldier who shone the army’s name. Moreover, it was on behalf
of the army that Dhyanchand had started to play hockey. So he was
unwilling to quit it just for the heck of it. At that time, he declined Mr.
Hayman’s offer very politely, and he had no cause to regret this decision
either, because General Duncan kept his promise, later he was moved on
high posts and retired as Major Dhyanchand from the Army.
A number of golden memories were connected with the Jhansi Club. In
fact, Dhyanchand wished to win the Beaton Cup because he was of the
view that if there was an excellent hockey player, his team ought to have
that Cup definitely. He considered it a norm of good hockey, and this
opportunity came knocking at his door, and he availed this opportunity to
realise his aspired dream.
Dhyanchand considers this match played in 1933 as the most excellent
match in his life. This match was played between the Calcutta Customs and
the Heroes Club. Dhyanchand represented the Heroes Club. This
tournament comprised five matches over four days. Two matches were
played the same day – in the morning and in the evening.
Those days, Dhyanchand had joined his duty. He was one of the admirers
of this tournament. It had started way back in 1895, and had continued over
all these years unabated. It had not been obstructed even during the First
World War. The attacks by the Japanese could not waver the players from
playing the tournament, and the games continued.
When Dhyanchand got an opportunity to play this tournament, he prayed
in his heart that he could get leave of absence for this purpose. It is a well-
known fact that it is somewhat a hard nut to crack when it comes to getting
leave of absence in the army. He got approval of his leave application, and
he reached Calcutta to participate in the Beaton Cup.
One of the dreams of his life was about to be realised. It is aptly said that
one has to make sacrifices to realise one’s dreams, and it was what
happened with Dhyanchand too. He was surrounded by unfavourable
circumstances.
In Calcutta, he was staying with Pankaj Gupta, and the rest of the team
was staying in a hotel. Four matches had already been played until then, and
everybody was curiously awaiting for the final and decisive match. Not
only the audience, but also the players were excited for this match.
Everybody was eager to know who is going to be the winner of the cup.
The Calcutta Customs team was not an ordinary team. It comprised of
skilled and talented players like Asar Ali, Claud Deaf, Shaukat Ali, Mohsin
and Serman. It was considered to be the most accomplished team in the
whole of Calcutta. The joy of crushing would have been quite satisfying.
Just before the match, Dhyanchand went down with diarrhoea. He grew so
weak that he did not have enough strength to raise his head even, leave
alone playing in the match. However, his mind and soul were inclined
towards the playground. He had dreamt of holding the Beaton Cup aloft in
his hands, and when that opportunity was round the corner, he was faced
with this obstacle in the form of terrible illness.
The Jhansi Heroes team comprised, besides him, good players like
Roopsingh and Ismail. The other team members were not experienced
enough. So the Calcutta Customs could prove to be a sturdy challenge for
them. How could he keep away from the game at such a crucial hour? He
gave the slogan ‘Do or die’ and entered the field.
The pressure mounted by the Calcutta Customs team was no less, and all
of a sudden, Dhyanchand penetrated through their forward line, and gave a
direct pass to Ismail from the midfield. Ismail took the full advantage of
this pass, and scored a goal right behind the goalkeeper. This goal ensured
their victory. No goal had been scored by Dhyanchand in this match, but it
was his pass that turned into the decisive goal. The people of Calcutta
celebrated the occasion. A lot of feasts and other programmes were held to
honour him. The people of Calcutta are known for their love of games, and
this victory was a great occasion for them. It mattered little to them which
team had won – Calcutta Customs or Jhansi Heroes.
 Despite having grasped two renowned trophies of India, the players did
not have even reservation to go back to Jhansi. All the players were so
jubilant that they little cared for this inconvenience. They travelled in the
third class; and they found the compartments filled to capacity.
The whole of Jhansi was on its streets to welcome its warriors. People
received them with open arms. After all the team had returned with the
most prestigious cup, the Beaton Cup. They left no stone unturned to
shower their affection on the players.
That glorious year, the Jhansi Heroes Club had not only won the Beaton
Cup, but also played and won the Lakshmi Vilas Cup Tournament, in which
only the Indian teams could participate. In the years to come, Dhyanchand
kept getting chances to play in the Beaton Cup, and he made all his efforts
to help his team win too.

 15.
Captaincy of Hockey Team
Mr. Sondhi organised West Asian Games in 1934. These games were held
in the Erwin Amphitheatre in New Delhi. These games also comprised
hockey, but this was the first match in which Dhyanchand participated as
the captain.
The teams from India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan participated in this
hockey tournament. India played only one match that was against
Afghanistan. Dhyanchand acted as the captain. Most of the players of his
hockey team belonged to Punjab and Manavdar state. It was only
Dhyanchand who had been selected from the army.
A grand feature of the team was that the Nawab of Manavdar state too
played in the team. This was an era of kings and nawabs. So any Nawab
playing hockey was the subject of wonder for the people.
The Nawab of Manavdar played hockey under the captaincy of
Dhyanchand. The other team members included Gurcharan Singh,
Mohammad Hussain, Charanjit, Omprakash, Roopsingh, etc. This match
was played on the 2nd of March, and India scored victory in the match by
five goals to nil. Recalling these moments, Dhyanchand says, “I often
wondered if my limited educational qualifications and my rank in the
regiment would become a stumbling block between me and captaincy,
despite all my accomplishments in the hockey field. Therefore, when I
learnt that I had been appointed the captain for the West Asian Games, I
was delighted as well as surprised.”
By the middle of 1930, the game and techniques of Dhyanchand had
attracted the sports lovers and had become a topic of discussion.
Newspapers and magazines often carried articles on his playing talent and
records, and he was admired in the most eloquent terms. His technique was
so excellent that people ran short of words to describe it. Even those who
had seen him play found it hard to describe the way he played and the way
he moved about in the field. No one could ever predict what he was going
to do on the field next, or which trick he was going to use next.
In December 1934, the Indian Olympic Council decided to send the Indian
hockey team to New Zealand in the new year for a tour. Dhyanchand was in
his regiment at this time. He learnt from the newspaper that he had been
selected in the team for the New Zealand tour. He was pleased to the
extreme to learn this. In fact, he had a hoard of pleasant memories linked
with New Zealand.
All the players selected for the tour were young, and their names were
unknown to the sports lovers. Dhyanchand too was doubtful if he would be
able to preserve his glory on this tour.
No matches were played for the selection of players. So a committee was
constituted to select the players. The remarkable members of the committee
included Pankaj Gupta, Majon Tanane, Prof. Jagannath, Dr. M.N. Masood
and Dr. A.C. Chatterjee. This committee selected the following hockey
players for the New Zealand tour:
Goalkeeper
T. Blake (Sindh)
N. Mukherjee (Bengal)
Back
P. Das (Bengal)
Muhammad Hussain (Manavdar)
Rashid Ahmad (Punjab)
Half Back
E. Nester (Bengal)
M.N. Masood (Manavdar)
M.J. Gopalan (Madras)
Mohammad Naim (Punjab)
Forward
Shahabuddin (Manavdar)
Frank Wales (Bengal)
L. Davidson (Bengal)
Dhyanchand (Army)
Roopsingh (Gwalior)
P.P. Fernandese (Sindh)
Herbel Singh (Punjab)
When the Nawab of Manavdar declined to accept the offer of captaincy,
the committee felt that this responsibility should be assigned to
Dhyanchand, and it was how he was selected the captain of the team.
During this tour, a total of 48 matches were played; 28 of these were
played in New Zealand and the remaining were held in India, Sri Lanka and
Australia. The greatest feature of the tour was that the Indian hockey team
scored victory in every match it played.

 16.
Not an Easy Victory
Dhyanchand played 43 matches out of a total of 48 and scored more than
200 goals. We must not relegate this fact out of memory that these matches
were played in unsuitable and marshy playgrounds in New Zealand and
Australia. These grounds were completely unfavourable as per the style of
playing used by the Indian hockey players. The grounds were such that they
could not employ a number of their techniques.
It was no easy task to play and win matches in the wintry season invaded
by cold waves, but the welcome and affection offered by the people of those
countries fascinated them greatly. This made them forget all their troubles
arising out of the climate, and they put in their best efforts.
In fact, this tour also proved to be a good one for them in yet another way
because the Indian hockey team availed itself of an opportunity to tour such
countries and regions which were quite new to the Indians and they knew
little about them. In many areas, they found people of the Indian origin who
had settled there long ago. Their joy and excitement was something to
watch for. They welcomed the Indian hockey players with all their
resources.
This tour of the Indian team proved to be very joyous and they got an
opportunity to know about a number of things. On their ship, they got a
chance to witness the traditional festivals. They also availed this period on
the voyage to do physical exercise or take part in the Dack Games in order
to keep themselves fit.
During this voyage, they got invitation from several Australian Hockey
Associations for games on every ports-falls enroute. They had to travel via
Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sidney. As they were the guests of New
Zealand, they thought it feasible to seek permission from their hosts to play
such games enroute. They talked to the officials in the New Zealand
Hockey Association, who willingly consented to their playing.
This team arrived at Fremantle on 27th April, where they met the
representative of the Western Australian Hockey Association, who took the
team to Perth by road. The beauty of the city of Perth fascinated them all.
The Indian team played a match against West Australian Eleven at
Claremont Show Grounds, and won it quite easily. Dhyanchand hit the ball
into the goal-post six times in this match. The same evening, the West
Australian Hockey Association organised a magnificent dinner in their
honour, and after this, the team departed for Adelaide. The Lord Mayor
welcomed them there on 2nd May. On the request of Pankaj Gupta, Don
Bradman, the doyen of cricket, arrived to meet the players for a brief time.
All the players were delighted by the presence of the great cricket
personality. All of them took a group photograph with him, which remained
a favourite photograph for Dhyanchand over the coming years.
The same evening, the Indian hockey team defeated the South Australian
team by 10 goals to 1. The match which was played on the cricket ground
was watched by Don Bradman too. This was the first ever hockey match that
he had witnessed in person. The presence of such an exalted personality on
the field doubled the enthusiasm of the players. Don Bradman could be
compared with Dhyanchand when it came to greatness in their respective
games. Both of them were the illuminating stars of their coveted games.
After a tour about the city, the team left for Melbourne. They reached
there on 4th May. They played a match against Victoria and defeated it 15-
4. From there, the team headed for Sydney, where it played a match against
the Sydney Metro Eleven, and defeated it by 11 goals to 4. The team stayed
at Sydney for a few days in a small private hotel of King’s Cross. After this,
they left for Wellington.
The team reached Wellington on 13th May, where the festivities for the
commemoration of King George V were underway. The arrival of the
Indian hockey team further heightened the joy there. The entire team was
offered the state honour; and the city mayor welcomed the team in a public
ceremony. This stage of the tour was quite busy. In the northern island, the
team played a total of 9 matches, and won them all. After their match on
19th May played against Poverty Bay, the Maories (a native community)
welcomed the Indian hockey team in their traditional flavour. They
recreated the Indian players in their customary manner called ‘Haka’.
The people of this Maorie community told them that they were native
Indians, but their forefathers had settled many years ago on the foreign soil.
They wished that the Indian team should play a match against them.
Showing their large-heartedness, the Indian hockey team took permission
from the New Zealand Hockey Association and played a match with them
too.
 On this occasion, the Maories presented them with a beautiful
embroidered and embossed shield, which was later changed into the North
Provincial Championship trophy.

 17.
Matching New Zealand
The Indian team crossed Christchurch on 2nd June. The entire New
Zealand was under the spate of icy winds. Travelling from Omaru to Gore,
they all were confronted with a snow storm. They could reach Gore after a
great difficulty. Next day, when they made to the playground, they found
that the entire ground was filled with waist-high snow. It was impossible to
play there. The first test was played on 22nd June at Lancaster Park in
Christchurch. The players were led into the ground with a ceremonial pipe
band of the Scottish Society.
India won this match by 4 goals to 2. After this, the formal dinner was
hosted, and soon after this, they left for the Athletic Park in Wellington.
This match was drawn. The New Zealand team contested with them hard. It
made the Indian players cautious that there could be players who could pose
them the danger of defeat.
It is said when there is a contest between the equals, the excitement
reaches a higher pitch. So did happen with the Indian players that day. The
first goal was scored by Franc Wales and the other two goals were scored
by Dhyanchand. The remaining players focussed their attention to save the
match anyhow, and led the match to the finish.
The third test match was played at Auckland on 20th July. According to
the Auckland press, there was a strength of about 12,000 spectators on the
ground that day. Soon after the match started, New Zealand scored a goal.
The Indian players grew resolute and they decided not to allow the
opponent team score any more goals. On the final tally, they won the match
by 7 goals to 1.
In this match played at Eden Park, Franc Wales hit the first goal, followed
by the next two by Dhyanchand, and the next two by Roopsingh,
Dhyanchand’s brother. Franc Wales followed with the sixth and the final
and last goal was hit into the goal-post by none other than Dhyanchand.
On this tour, India played a total of 48 matches, and won them all. This
incident occurred in the final match. The New Zealand players adopted a
strategy. They left the entire playground uncut with grass. Only the ‘D’ area
was cleared of the grass. They thought that the Indians would not be able to
play well on the grassy surface, and they would be struck; but they never
knew what kind of opponents they had this time. Dhyanchand and
Roopsingh thought out a counter-strategy. So far as was possible, they kept
the ball in the air and kept tossing the ball into the air, and doing this they
invaded the goal-post.
As soon as Dhyanchand crossed the goalkeeper, he hit the ball, but the
goalkeeper was alert, and he prevented the goal.
A little later, Dhyanchand once again came into the vicinity of the goal-
post and hit the ball.
But alas! The goalkeeper obstructed and cleared the ball this time too.
At this, Dhyanchand said, “Well done, boy! But if you succeed to stop my
ball the next time, I’ll stop playing the game of hockey forever.”
The goalkeeper was jubilant at his accomplishment. He said, “That we’ll
see, sir!”
And soon Dhyanchand carried the ball forward, dancing to the tune of his
stick. He was in his full swing. This time Dhyanchand tricked the
goalkeeper who failed to guess his move, and he scored the goal that he was
looking for so anxiously.
A local newspaper in that country admired his trick and wrote:
“It is a matter of wonder how these matchless sons of India have
accomplished their goals. They leave the spectators spellbound with their
skills. The more you watch them, the more you wish to watch them. Any
opponent is stunned before their infinite capability. They have transformed
the game of hockey into a fine art. If simplicity is the highest form of art,
then the Indians have certainly touched the zenith of the game.”
Having demonstrated their energy, vitality, talent and technique, the Indian
players left for home on 26th July. They stayed in Australia for a very brief
period and played a match there.
They stayed at Ceylon to play three matches, and played two more
matches in Madras. Finally, on 10th September, 1935, the players headed
for home, but only after Madras hosted a grand reception in their honour.
The Nawab of Manavdar presented every player a fountain pen through his
private secretary, M.M. Masood. During this tour, Dhyanchand had been
appointed as the vice captain, so he was presented a camera too.
When it is being discussed about the camera, it would be prudent to take
this opportunity to tell that Dhyanchand was very fond of photography.
Though he did not have resources to buy good-quality cameras, but he
never missed an opportunity to take photographs with his old private
camera.
Besides photography, Dhyanchand was also fond of cooking. This hobby
of his was not known well. Whenever he found time, he would enter the
kitchen and cook something for his friends and family members. Besides
hockey, he was also fond of hunting. Those days, hunting had not yet been
prohibited. He had a licensed gun, and whenever he got time, he would
head for the forest for the game.
Normally a player loves all the games, but one of them might be nearer to
his heart. Dhyanchand loved to play billiards in addition to hockey.
Whenever he visited Jhansi, he loved to pass time playing billiards. He was
a man of simple habits. After his excellent international performance,
Dhyanchand always returned to his regiment to resume his normal duties.
He was not one of the social type of people who loved to be in the company
of others. Whenever he attended a ceremony, he would return from there as
soon as his part was over. He never liked to talk exaggeratedly when it
came to discussing his game or his achievements. He had been taught right
from childhood that he should not indulge in any kind of false propaganda
or exaggeration. He had learnt to abide by his duty well, and this was what
he loved to do. If there arose an opportunity when he was being admired on
the face, he would just shy away and change the topic.
When he was not on duty or in the playground, his favourite dress would
be dhoti and kurta.

 18.
Captaincy in Berlin Olympics
On return from the New Zealand tour, Dhyanchand passed some time with
his family and friends in Jhansi. These people were always curious to know
more and more about foreign tour, and about his adventure in the ground
and outside it.
I can recall an anecdote which Dhyanchand himself wrote in his
autobiography titled ‘Goal’. He had a player-friend Gopalan. After his tour
abroad, he would visit Rameshwaram to wash off the sins he committed
during his voyage across the ocean. This incident has been included in the
memoirs only to bring out the fact that readers might know how strong the
sportsman spirit was there in the players. It was to the extent that they were
ready to undertake some tasks which were otherwise prohibited by the holy
scriptures, only to illuminate their country’s name in the world arena.
Dhyanchand returned to his work, and continued with his practice. It is
aptly said that even a sword loses its edge if it is kept idle. Dhyanchand
knew well the importance of practice in a player’s life. Even after so much
honour and glory, he did not undergo any transformation. He was still a
simple man. He always considered himself an ordinary player of the game.
In December 1935, a decision was taken in a meeting of the Indian
Hockey Federation that the Indian hockey team should participate in the
next Olympic Games to be held in Berlin.
As soon as this decision was taken, discussions and meetings took place
and it was decided that this time too an inter-state tournament should be
held in Calcutta itself. The Bengal Hockey Federation never hesitated from
accepting such a responsibility, and it always welcomed players with an
open mind. Its matchless and unique contribution in the field of hockey can
never be forgotten. The Indian Hockey Federation wrote to the Army Sports
Control Board:
“You are requested to accord leave of absence to Dhyanchand so that he
could participate in the selection matches in order to prove his eligibility for
Berlin Olympics.”
The army board felt it bad. What was the need for a player of the stature
of Dhyanchand to prove his eligibility? Were not all the matches that he had
played earlier proof enough that he was one of the greatest players of
hockey? Those days, Dhyanchand was posted on the frontier. He was not
sent for the selection matches. But as per the rules, the selection of a player
could be done only after he had taken part in the selection matches.
The outcome of this deadlock was quite disastrous. When the list of
players selected for Berlin Olympics was published, it was shocking to note
that the name of Dhyanchand was missing. This led to all-round despair and
hopelessness. It was evident that India could not have won a medal at
Berlin without him being a part of the team. The people were right in saying
that India might have to face disastrous consequences if they did not rectify
its mistake.
The Indian Hockey Federation once again contacted the Army Board and
this time it consented to send Dhyanchand to Delhi. The post of the captain
of the team was still vacant. Syed Mohammad Zafar was a claimant of the
post, but he withdrew his name in favour of Dhyanchand. The President of
the Indian Hockey Federation had never met Dhyanchand personally, but he
was well aware of his competence and potential. So he did not hesitate at all
to assign this post to Dhyanchand. Were Dhyanchand not sent to Berlin, the
outcome would have been quite different for sure. Whatever it could have
been, it would not have been favourable for India even a bit.
Dhyanchand never liked the idea of including him in the team without
having played the selection matches, but he could not say anything in this
regard. He was helpless before the decision taken by the higher officials.
His appointment as the captain for Berlin Olympics made Dhyanchand
happy. He aspired to represent his country in the Olympics in the capacity
of a captain, and the opportunity was right there. His brother, Roopsingh
too found a place in the team.

 19.
Selection of Team
A total of thirteen teams took part in the inter-state tournament at Calcutta,
and a representative from each of these teams was selected, and thus, a 17-
member team was announced for Berlin Olympics.
Just a few days before proceeding to Berlin, Dhyanchand was married to
Janki Devi. The new bride was proud that her husband was proceeding
abroad to bring glory to the country. One thing had become quite clear to
her that hockey claimed as much right over her husband as she, and she was
bound to keep this fact in mind all the time.
The team proceeding to Berlin comprised the following members:
Goalkeeper
R.J. Allen (Bengal)
Back
C. Topsel (Bengal)
Mohammad Hussain (Manavdar)
Gurcharan Singh (Punjab)
Joe Philips (Bombay)
Half Back
E.J.C. Kullen (Madras)
M.N. Masood (Manavdar)
Babu Nimal (Bombay)
Joe Galibardi (Bengal)
Ehsan Muhammad Khan (Bhopal)
Forward
I.C. Imet (Bengal)
Shahabuddin (Manavdar)
Dhyanchand (Army)
Roopsingh (United Provinces)
Syed Mohammad Zafar (Punjab)
Peter Paul Fernandes (Sindh)
The entire team was ordered to gather in Delhi. All of them reached Delhi
on 16th June. The team played a match at Mori Gate Grounds against Delhi
Hockey Eleven, and it had to suffer humiliation as it was defeated in this
match. What an inauspicious beginning of the tour it was! All the players got
discouraged.
Dhyanchand himself was the most anxious and tense. It was he who was
leading the team abroad, and any defeat of the team would be his own
defeat, and it would have been the greatest defeat of his life, which he
would have found hard to overcome.
He felt that his team’s failure in the very first match did not presage well
for the team. They were going to take part in the Olympics, the greatest
tournament on the global arena, and the players were discouraged in the
first match itself.
In fact, the team members were habituated of winning every match. It was
not in their blood to suffer defeat. For a little time, Dhyanchand explained
to his mind that lossing or winning are the two sides of the same coin, and if
they played well, they would certainly win at some other place on some
other day. It was something to find consolation from the fact that this match
had been played on the home soil. It clearly meant that they still had time
with them to make up their shortcomings and polish for their skills. They
could still rectify their mistakes.
Having pacified his mind, he addressed his team members in every way
that could boost their morale. A captain is like the soul of the team. He has
to maintain his cool under any situation, so that he can keep his players in
the right type of mindset. There can be nothing at stake if the players accept
defeat before the game starts. He taught his players to play with the spirit of
the game and transform their defeat into inspiration, and the entire team was
once again infused with confidence and encouragement. They were once
again ready to take to the ground and shock the opponent team out of its
wits.
Although there were a few members in the team who were going abroad
for the first time, and they did not know much about the grounds in Europe,
but the natural and affectionate attitude of Dhyanchand made them all feel
at home. He reeved them all in the thread of his friendship and
comradeship.
The Indian hockey team arrived in Jhansi. It played a match with Jhansi
Heroes and defeated it by seven goals. They travelled to Bhopal the same
night. A large number of spectators turned up to watch its match with
Bhopal State Eleven, including the Nawab and Begum of Bhopal. The
spectators were quite lively to the match. Bhopal had to suffer defeat by
three goals to nil. In the evening, the President of Bhopal State Hockey
Association, Nawabjada Rashid-ul-Zafar Khan organised a spectacular
dinner in the honour of the players.
The next morning, the team left for Madras. It scored victories against the
Madras Indians. All these victories had washed away the stains of their
defeat in Delhi. The match played against the All-Madras team too brought
out the same result.
After this, the next match was played in Bangalore (now Bangaluru). The
Indian team defeated the team there by four goals. After this, they were
scheduled in stay at Bombay. The players passed a good time there in the
company of their friends and fans. A number of programmes were held for
their recreation, including dinners and lunches. One of the feasts was given
by the German Counsel, and it proved to be one of the most unique. The
players kept recalling this feast even years after this was held.

 20.
Setting Out on Voyage
On 27th June, their voyage started aboard P&O ship, Ranpura. The Indian
Olympics team was on its way to hoist its flag of victory. As soon as the
ship entered the Arabian Sea, it raged in fury. The monsoon had already set
in, and the voyage proved difficult. Two of the members were new to a
journey on the sea. So they fell ill.
The voyage proved quite troublesome right until Aden. The players
heaved a sigh of relief after reaching there. They deboarded the ship there
on 2nd July, and hoped that they would get some time to practise hockey
after recuperation.
A pleasant surprise was in store for them at Aden. His regiment was right
in Aden those days. So he got an opportunity to meet his colleagues from
the army. It is joyous and unique to meet your acquaintances at some
unknown place. The regiment organised a feast for all the players, and
ensured that the menu comprised only the Indian dishes. After this, the team
got an opportunity to practise hockey in the regiment’s grounds.
The journey from Aden to Marcellus was adventurous and pleasant. In
fact, the Maharaja of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar too was travelling on
the same ship. He was accompanied by his entire retinue and the prince.
The Maharaja soon had close relations with the hockey team. He was
proceeding to England for his treatment. His retinue welcomed the players.
The Maharaja had his own arrangement for food. This was how the Indian
team got an opportunity to partake of Indian vegetarian food; and it would
not be out of place to mention that none of the players ever wanted to miss
this opportunity. In this way, the voyage was quite entertaining and fun.
The Olympic team arrived at Marcellus on 10th July only to find the port
officials on strike. So it took them a long time to get their luggage cleared
and complete the customs formalities. When one is scheduled to undertake
further journey, this type of unforeseen delay could overturn the entire
planning, and this was what precisely happened to them.
The players were scheduled to travel further by road, and due to this delay,
they missed their train to Paris. As a consequence, they had to stay
overnight at Marcellus itself. They took the train to Paris the next day. They
were travelling by the third-class compartment. The players were hungry,
and they were delighted to know that there was a restaurant car attached to
the train, but they had to find solace with only light refreshment as they
lacked enough money for this purpose.
This type of incident can leave any person in a state of shock. The players
going abroad lacked even the basic facilities to the extent that they could
not eat what they wanted. It could only be hoped that they got all the
amenities which the modern players now get. But for them, all these things
were secondary to their dedication and devotion to the game and country’s
prestige. They never relegated this fact from their memory that they were
there on behalf of their country, and they had to keep up the country’s
respect anyhow.
In Paris, the players got a chance to visit the Eiffel Tower, Nastrodam and
Arch de Triumph. They appreciated these monuments, which had intense
pages of history behind them. They were charmed to watch them with their
own eyes.
The journey to Berlin went on in a third-class compartment. The night was
bitter cold, and the players did not have berths to lay down; but they kept in
their minds the great task that they were going to undertake, and were ready
to forego every trouble and difficulty that they could confront on the way.
They were on a national mission.
Dhyanchand used to accept all these challenges much like a military
mission. So no obstacle seemed to him any greater than adventure. He
accepted every trouble or difficulty as part of the mission. All these things
mattered little to him. He was carrying the burden of representing his
country, and this responsibility was so great that all other difficulties
seemed much trivial before it.
He told his teammates that they would have to maintain the honour and
prestige of the country under all circumstances, even if they had to forego
comforts and miss the opportunities. They had to keep it constantly in mind
that their sole objective was to participate in the games.

 21.
Berlin Olympics in 1936
When the Indian team arrived in Berlin, it found a large number of people
who had come to welcome and receive them. The Indian players were
excited to find so many well-wishers and fans at a place away from their
native place. Suddenly, Dhyanchand noted that many people in the crowd
were Indians, and later he realised that they were freedom fighters, who
lived in Germany. They had come there to welcome the hockey team with
Tricolour in their hands.
Dr. Deam, the President of the Berlin Olympics Coordination Committee,
and Her Avers, the President of the Germany Hockey Federation accorded
the team a formal welcome. The German dictator, Adolf Hitler intended to
utilise the Olympics as a tool of propaganda for his Nazi doctrine and the
concept of master race. The entire Berlin could be seen wrapped in the
symbols of Swastik, which represented Nazism. Martial music was being
continuously played. Slogans were quite often raised to hail Hitler.
As soon as the Indian hockey team set out under the Union Jack, the
revolutionaries there requested Pankaj Gupta, the manager and Dhyanchand
to march under the Tricolour in place of the Union Jack. Dhyanchand
wanted to do just this. He nursed a secret wish to hoist the Tricolour on the
foreign soil, but he was too helpless to do anything in the matter. Had they
done any such thing, they would have been disqualified from the game. The
British ambassador had been especially sent to keep an eye over the
movements of the Indian team there. Finally, it was decided that they would
proceed with the Union Jack.
In the Town Hall of Berlin, the entire team was offered a grand civil
welcome. They were presented with a hard-bound book, which detailed
every piece of necessary information about the city of Berlin. Dhyanchand
was also presented with a bronze medal.
The Olympic Village was 20 miles from Berlin. A luxury bus was
arranged to carry the players. At their destination, they were amazed to find
their boarding being made from baked bricks and steel. In the past
Olympics that they had attended, the arrangement for stay was made from
temporary material, which could be removed later.
 They found in the Olympic Village that the representatives from seven
countries were already there. Their national flags were waving outside their
lodges. The Indian team too was taken to their respective lodge in a
ceremonial procession. They were allotted cottage number 113, which had
20 beds, a telephone and a refrigerator for their use. The players were
looked after well. Two assistants had been appointed, who were available to
them for any kind of assistance and service at any time. It would be fit to
say that every arrangement was made to keep them all comfortable.
However, one thing that the Indian team found strange was the fact that a
Greek army officer had been appointed as the interpreter with it. This officer
could speak English fluently, but never understood even a single Hindi word.
Only the Divine knew how they determined that the national language of
India was English, and not Hindi. Hitler did not wish that any foreigner
should know more than necessary about Nazi Germany. So this type of
arrangement had been made. The interpreters made available at other places
were such who knew the local place well. However, Hitler was cautious
enough, because it was busy expanding its military might. The players had
already been instructed not to interfere or display undue curiosity whenever
they came across anything extraordinary, or anything. Maybe, the Olympic
cottages had all been made with concrete, so that the place could be used as
military headquarters later.
The meal facility had been provided in a round building about half a mile
away. In the dining hall, the food was served in a cafeteria style. There was
no shortage of food there, but there were times when the players did not
wish to go there as they did not have enough passes.
One day, when they were taking their meals, a tumultuous uproar was
heard around them. All of a sudden, Herman Gauring arrived on the scene
in his military uniform. People clapped to welcome him, and some players
rushed to take his autograph. It was normal for the important people to visit
that place almost everyday.

 22.
Practice Match Proved a Teacher
A myriad of new colours were unfolding at Berlin Olympics, which turned
out to be the testing times for Dhyanchand, who had to solve them all with
some new strategy or trick. Being the captain of the team simply meant
wearing a crown of thorns. It is quite usual for victory to belong to the
entire team, but the captain has to accept the responsibility for any defeat.
A practice match was played on 11th July, in which India played against
the German international team. The result of this match was not to have any
impact on the Olympic tournaments. Still the outcome could not be hidden
away from the media and audience. India suffered a humiliating defeat at
the hands of their rivals by four goals to one. This defeat shocked the Indian
players out of their wits. They were worried if they would ever be able to
defend their title.
Later, Dhyanchand wrote that he could never forget the defeat in that
match. It was not an ordinary shock. Germany, under the leadership of
Hitler, had made tremendous progress, and now its level was so high that it
could easily defeat the world champions. This German team had been
selected out of a total of 26 players, and all of them were the members of
the Germany Hockey Representatives. It simply meant that they were no
inferior in competing against any team. Dhyanchand did not eat food that
day, nor could he sleep well that night. He was anxious of the next day.
There was no doubt that the result of the match was to have no bearing on
the Olympic championship. Yet there was no way to restrain the
newspapers from passing adverse remarks. The special correspondent of
The Hindu wrote: “Last Friday, the host team played a practice match with
the Indian team and defeated it badly. If you looked at the way the players
played, it could well be said that there was no reason for the Indian team to
lose so easily, but the audience were of the opinion that the team missed as
many as six opportunities to score goals.”
The Indian team understood it well enough that Germany had made much
progress in the game. Moreover, India had no habitual and regular inside
right, and Masood was unable to play in a good form. If Germany and India
clashed in the finals, it was sure for the Indians to face a difficult time.
 All the members were of the opinion that an inside right should be called
from India. A meeting was held including Dhyanchand, Jagannath Swami,
Pankaj Gupta and Zafar. It was decided unanimously that a replacement
was needed for Masood. Pankaj Gupta left for Berlin and wired to Sir
Jagdish Prasad, the President of the Indian Hockey Federation. He wrote in
it that Dara should be sent immediately to Berlin. And if this was not
possible, Franc Wales or Eric Henderson should be sent.
It would be advisable to mention it here that when the Indian team was
still in India, an effort was made to include Dara in the team, but the army
did not approve of his selection. So the team had to leave without him.
When this telegraph reached India, the army officers realised the
emergency, and got ready to send Dara by air. Dara travelled by a small
aeroplane, which had to stop over at a number of places for refuelling
before it finally reached Berlin just a day before the semifinal, which was to
be played between India and France.
The German media and audience were burning with curiosity to know
more about the player for whom a special recommendation had been sent
by Dhyanchand and for whom a special plane had been arranged. Let us
inform you in the meantime that India played eight more practice matches
after the first defeat, but it could never overcome the shock that it had
confronted at the hands of the German team.
The local people were quite excited about the Indian hockey team. When
Dhyanchand met the media, journalists wrote in their columns: “In the
Olympic Village, there will be a game of magic too.”
When the Indian players read these words, they knew it well that they had
been used for their captain. Many a posters too were put up in Berlin which
announced: “Visit the hockey stadium and watch the wonderful game of the
Indian magician.”

 23.
Inauguration of Berlin Olympics
The hockey stadium at Berlin Olympic Village was spectacular.
Dhyanchand himself praised it. The opening ceremony was held on 1st
August. The organisation was planned on a very magnificent and large
level. The programme started amongst the sounds of clapping by the
audience. All of a sudden, there was a controversy in the stadium. Some
players wanted to salute Hitler during the march past, while others opposed
this. In the end, many teams saluted him, but India and America did not
salute him. Captain Dhyanchand led his team with the flag in his hand.
The bell which was to be rung in the inauguration ceremony weighed
about 14,000 tonnes. The Olympic torch was lit with Solar Power for the
first time. All the arrangements were very good, and it was clearly evident
that a lot of technology and equipment had been used in every aspect of the
game.
These were the first games that were broadcast on the television. Twenty-
five large television screens had been installed at different places in Berlin,
so that the local populace could watch the matches for free. In India, the
Philips Radio Company started a campaign and claimed that its new radios
were fitted with new technology which could catch signals from Radio
Berlin quite effectively.
India played its first match on 5th August against Hungary. India won it
quite comfortably by 4 goals to nil. The Hungarian players played and
defended their goal-post well. Their goalkeeper was quite agile. So only he
could prevent a number of other possible goals. In fact, it rained as soon as
the match started, and the playing conditions went bad due to this, and the
ground was rendered unsuitable for playing hockey.
After this match, the Maharaja and Maharani of Baroda invited the Indian
team to Hotel Adlan. The Afghan team was there too. So they all enjoyed
the dinner together.
The match against America was played on 7th August. The Indian team
defeated it by seven goals. The climate was quite favourable that day. The
same evening, they were invited by the British ambassador. Their next
match was on 10th August, which they played against Japan. India won it
too. It appeared from their game that they had keenly watched the Indians
play. So no goal could be scored for the first twenty minutes of the game.
They were given a feast in the Oriental Club, and it was on this day when
Dara too made to Berlin from India.
On 12th August, the semifinal was played against France. In that match,
India defeated the adversary by ten goals. In that match, Dara struck thrice;
Topsel, Shahabuddin and Roopsingh struck once each and Dhyanchand
struck four times alone. The entire audience gave them a standing ovation.
They were charmed to watch the magic-like tricks of India’s magician. The
same evening, the Berlin Mosque Committee invited the team for tea.
The Indian players were made to attend one function after another. So
much affection and respect they received there, and they could not refuse
these invitations. During the course of all these hectic activities, Germany
too was moving ahead rapidly defeating countries like Denmark,
Afghanistan and Holland. And finally, the penultmate day had arrived.
The final match was scheduled for 14th August, Friday. However, the day
opened with a heavy pouring. The entire hockey ground was soaked in
water. The defeat at the hands of Germany was still fresh in their mind, and
it was with the same rivals that they had to play the final match. These two
countries had relegated all other contestants to the background, in order to
stand face to face before each other. It was not a practice match, and this
final match had to determine who the champions of the game were.
Jagannath appealed to the German Hockey officers that the match should
be postponed to the next day, but the closing ceremony was scheduled to be
held the next day, and the programmes that day could not be changed or
interfered with.
The problem was drastic. The match was to be played against Germany and
the circumstances were unfavourable for hockey to be played. During all
these matches, the hockey fans had got an opportunity to see the magician
unfold his talent. He had employed some very amazing tricks and strategies.
People had never before watched such an accomplished performance.
His hockey stick was like a magic wand that danced to his times. The ball
rarely parted from his stick. It is said that people often wished to touch his
stick to ensure it had no magnet or the like with which the ball stuck, never
to be separated.

 24.
The Inspiring Tricolour
In the meeting held between the German hockey officials and Indian
officials and the captain, it was finally decided that the final match would
be held at 11 am on 15th August. Possibly this was the first Olympic match
that was to be played in the morning hours.
Dhyanchand remained a worried man all night. He had to abolish the
German’s terror in his players’ psyche. When we are terrorised of
something, it seems to us even more frightful and scaring; and it turns terror
even more terrorising than the object of terror. Something such occurred
with this match too. India had tasted defeat at the hands of Germany, while
the Indian hockey team had never learnt to get defeated.
In the capacity of being the captain, Dhyanchand wished to emancipate
his team members from this terror, because you can embrace victory only if
you are beyond fear. Terror can weaken even a strong man, who loses all his
vigour, and his optimism and encouragement take a nosedive.
Ultimately, Dhyanchand had a fine idea his mind, and he decided what he
was going to do to raise the level of will-power and encouragement.
Before the team took to the grounds the next day in the morning, the entire
team gathered in the dressing room. All of a sudden, Dhyanchand placed
before his teammates the Tricolour. Pankaj Gupta started to smile looking at
this commendable initiative. In no time, the entire atmosphere of the room
underwent a drastic change.
The team’s captain had expressed his message quite eloquently without
saying a word. The message was short and crisp and clear—Do or die.
Never ever consider anybody greater than your country. Invade the
opponent’s territory and bring it under your suzerainty. Don’t allow your
country’s name to be drowned in disrespect.
All the players got excited. They got up from their seats and saluted their
dear Tricolour. Their country might have been engulfed in the dark of
slavery, yet their hearts were illuminated with the light of patriotism.
Saluting the Tricolour, all of them vowed with themselves that they would
do everything that was possible in order to maintain the glory of the
Tricolour; and that they would show to the world that the sons of Mother
India were inferior to none, whether it was Germany or any other country.
 Dhyanchand was delighted. All his anxiety disappeared into thin air. This
was what he wanted. He succeeded to raise and maintain the will-power and
motivation of all his teammates. The secret of success of a team lies in its
successful leadership. There could be no doubt that this team possessed the
capable leadership.
When the Indian hockey team entered the field, the entire stadium was full
to its capacity. About 40,000 spectators were there, including the Maharaja
of Baroda, the princess of Bhopal and a large number of Indian immigrants.
Thus, there was a sizeable number of Indian supporters in the crowd that
had specifically come there in order to encourage and support the team. The
Indian team was determined to defend the honour of the Tricolour; and, on
the other hand, the German team was confident to defeat the opponent team
as easily as it had done previously in the practice game.
It is a wise saying that one should never underestimate the enemy. What
happened with Germany was just the overconfidence that it could defeat the
Indian team quite easily. It prided in its strength, and it was what led it to
defeat.
Germany had planned to adopt the Indian hockey style in order to counter
the Indian team, but they had quite forgotten the fact that duplicate objects
can never compete with original objects.

 25.
India-Germany Final Match
The match started between India and Germany, and the Indians regained
their actual form and played so ferociously that the rival team had no
answer to their game. The game was played very swiftly and was full of
exciting moments all through.
Hitler himself was among the audience, but when he saw Germany likely
to taste defeat, he rose from his seat and left. He had not learnt to fail. He
could not digest his country’s defeat. Besides him, there were a number of
other high Nazi officials too.

The two teams were competing against each other on equal terms.
Mohammad Kullen, Roopsingh and other players represented India, while
Germany was represented by such promising players as Dos, Beaj,
Huffman, Keller and others.
When the match started, the German team adopted offensive. Dara
succeeded to penetrate into the opponents’ lines twice, but he was declared
off-side. The Germans succeeded to block India’s forward movements very
easily, and it became very difficult for the Indians to move ahead. It was
now clear that the team scoring the first goal would be in an advantageous
position, and it could play a vital role in the final tally. In the 32nd minute,
Roopsingh got a pass from Zafar, and he struck right into the goal-post from
a difficult angle. Thus, by the half time, India could score only one goal.
During the half-time, Dhyanchand called the players near him and
congratulated them for the good show. Also, he cautioned them that one
goal was no lead in fact, and Germany could equalise it at any time. So they
had to play resolutely.
After this, the Indian players played their natural game. As soon as the
match resumed, Dhyanchand scored a goal. Discussing the exciting
moments of the match from here, Roopsingh says: “Dhyanchand was a
player who never thought on selfish lines even an iota. He never wished to
retain the ball with him a moment longer than needed. However, that day,
he was in a different type of mindset. He shouted to us and said that all the
passes should be given to him, and he would see the rest.”
His game was spectacular that day. The way he was making the ball dance
to his cues charmed the entire stadium. It appeared as if the ball had stuck
to his hockey stick. Many a time, it would have certainly boggled the
spectators what was going on in the field.
By the time India had scored four goals, Germany came to its senses, and
it mobilised its strength, and it led to their scoring a goal. When the Indian
team attacked and scored the sixth goal, the German team was completely
flabbergasted, and all their players pointed out Dhyanchand, adopting
offensive playing strategy against him. This led to an injury on
Dhyanchand’s teeth. He had to step out of the field for first aid, but when he
returned, he very patiently and politely told the opponent player that
adopting physical offence could more mar than make the game. What is the
use of a game if it is not played with the spirit of the game?
The goalkeeper begged sorry, but it was evident that all this had been done
deliberately with a feeling of revenge. Topsel said, “We too can adopt
offensive posture. We can show them how we can respond with a stone in
return for a brick. How dare!”
Dhyanchand pacified his teammates and said, “No, we have to just show
them that the match can be won only if we play hockey in its proper way,
rather than playing fouls and adopting indecent tricks. If we too behave like
them, what would be the difference between the two? We must not let this
slip out of our minds that we are here to represent our country, and we have
to show them what traits have been cultivated in us.”
Now, the Indians adopted a different type of strategy which bewildered the
German players out of their wits. The Indians would lead the ball right up to
the goal, but turn back without scoring a goal. In fact, Dhyanchand had told
his players to do this in order to show the rivals how to keep the ball under
control. In this match, Roopsingh, Topsel and Zafar scored a goal each,
Dara scored two and Dhyanchand struck thrice. The duet played between
Dara and Dhyanchand was something to watch for. In this match, Germany
scored one goal, while it was squarely defeated by eight goals to one.
The Indian team was jubilant, but Dhyanchand seemed a little unhappy.
When somebody asked him its reason, he said that he wished this victory to
have come under the coveted Tricolour. This was a helpless moment for the
Indians, but when a number of years later, India got its independence on
15th August, 1947, Dhyanchand’s eyes got moist recalling the match at
Berlin. He said that he had got eager to see his country free from the foreign
rule.
Reporting this match, The Hindu wrote:
“Each member of the Indian hockey team appeared to be tense as a result
of the defeat that they had got in the practice match, and they were all not in
a good state of mind. When the match could not be played due to heavy
downpour, and it was postponed to the following day, it could not be
definitely said whether the ground would dry up or not. There were doubts
if it would rain again.
“When the sun rose to its glory the next morning, the possibility of the
match being suspended, at least due to rain, evaporated into thin air. The
ground was still wet. The German players adopted the strategy of undercuts
while the Indian team adopted the strategy of long shots. Dhyanchand
moved ahead with the ball twice, but on both occasions, he was declared off
side.
“After this, he removed his studs and wore rubber shoes. Towards the
close of the play, his game got very rapid. Allen and Topsel foiled many
German attempts and it was only Beaj who succeeded to go past them and
score a goal. This goal was quite important from the viewpoint that it was
the sole goal that had been scored against India in the entire Olympic
tournament.
The German players had been fully tired, both in mind and body.
Reliability of Topsel, speed of Zafar and mutual understanding of
Dhyanchand and Dara had pleasantly surprised the people there.

 26.
Closing Ceremony
This victory scored by the Indians was a severe defeat for the Nazis, who
were determined to establish Germany as a powerful country in the world.
They wanted to show to the world that Germany was ahead of every other
nation in the world and nursed the philosophy of master race, meaning that
the white race was superior to all others, especially the coloured ones.
The Indian team had shattered the German aspirations. It was a golden
chapter in the history of Indian hockey. The magnificent closing ceremony
took place on 16th August, which was attended by King Borits of Bulgaria
and Hitler as the chief guests.
Hitler, who disliked the people of the Asian origin, shook hands with the
Indian Olympic players. He presented the gold medal to Dhyanchand, the
Indian captain. All the countries taking part in the Olympics were invited to
take part in the next Olympic games to be held at Tokyo. It may be noted
that the Olympics in Tokyo could not be held due to the Second World War.
After this, a large party was organised in the Deuce Hall in Berlin. Hitler
too attended this. The Indian team was basking in its glory, and did not pay
much attention to Hitler. However, Hitler himself came to Dhyanchand and
proposed him to be a general in the German army, but Dhyanchand could
never think of such a thing.
For him, his motherland was supreme, more coveted than his own life.
How could a patriot deceive his country for greed of post, power or riches?
Everybody has some duty towards his family, community and country.
Everybody is indebted to the motherland in which he takes birth, and he
should make every effort to repay this debt. Dhyanchand’s love for his
country was unparalleled. It was worth imitating. A moot point here can be
the outcome of this offer, had it been made to somebody else in place of
Dhyanchand, and how long he would have taken to decide about it. Even
today, Dhyanchand is looked upon as a man of unshakable principles who
could confront even Hitler in his own country, and reject his offer taking
pride in his motherland.
Such an opportunity had arisen in the years to come too, when he
displayed his love for the country again. His son too rose to be a well-
known hockey player. He wanted to settle abroad, but Dhyanchand
explained to him that the country’s soil in which we grow should occupy
the supreme place in our life. It is only our country that has every right over
us. We must not forget our country or relegate its interests and be ungrateful
to the country. Such selfishness is better given up.
His son too obeyed his father and rejected the proposal for moving abroad.
Dhyanchand was one of the people for whom the invaluable wealth of life
comprises principles and traits and who accept nothing above their
principles. Dhyanchand faced financial difficulties later in life on a number
of occasions, but he neither spread his hand before anybody, nor did he seek
any immoral means. Had he wanted, he would have achieved everything he
desired. He would have overcome any kind of financial constraints, but he
never did anything untoward. Whenever there will be a talk of love for
hockey and country, the name of this great personality will be remembered
in no uncertain terms.
Dhyanchand and his team passed a joyful time in Berlin after the
Olympics were over. After this, the entire team stayed in London. The
Indian Hockey Federation had allowed the team to stay in London for a
week to celebrate its victory in the Olympics.
There they met Douglas Jardin, a well-known name in the corridors of
cricket those days. Jardin stepped ahead and especially requested
Roopsingh and Dhyanchand to take snaps with them.
The Indian team played its last match of the tour at Zurich. This match
was played in artificial light in a rocky ground at 1 o’clock in the night.
In toto, the entire foreign tour had been optimally successful. The Indian
team returned after having successfully defended its ‘world champion’ title.
This time, the Indian team had achieved this feat under the leadership of
Dhyanchand. When he had set out on this tour, he was surrounded by
doubts and fears, he doubted even his own skill and capability, but on
return, his face was shining with glory and pride. They had succeeded to
keep the country’s glory despite the fact that the native country was under
the foreign rule; but their hockey was free. It was slave to none’s
commands. The hockey stick danced just as he wished. Gathering love,
honour, respect, commendations, rewards, prizes, gifts, presents, affection
and what not, the Indian team finally mounted the Strathmore steamer in
order to rush back home.

 27.
Return from Berlin
In the same steamer were travelling a number of well-known people,
including the Nawab of Pataudi, the prince of Vijji and the governors of
Bombay, Madras and Mysore. It was natural for all the team members to
feel themselves flying high in the sky. The entire range of passengers on the
ship respected and honoured Dhyanchand and his teammates. They passed a
good time together on the ship. These moments became a memorable part
of his life. The renowned people who shied away from coming into public
to be seen with common people were excited to get photographed with the
players.
George Avers, the President of Deuce Hockey Bund, sent them a very
heart-warming farewell message:
“You and your country have contributed in blossoming the game of
hockey in our country. I am hopeful that you too will go back to your
country with the same impression, and will reciprocate the same kind of
friendly emotions for the German hockey players which they are feeling for
you. They say that the finest display and skills of hockey shown by you
have been a coveted treasure for them, and they appreciate all this whole-
heartedly.”
When the delighted and spirited team reached Bombay with the gold
medal it had won, they were there for a sorrowful surprise. Only two people
had reached to receive the team which had earned such a great achievement
abroad. One of them was the member of the Bombay Hockey Association
and the other had come on behalf of the State Olympic Unit. All of a
sudden, the sky became overcast, the clouds thundered and it started to rain
heavily. Looking at this indifferent attitude towards them, one of the
disappointed players commented, “Look, even the sky could not bear with
the indifference shown to us, and it has started to roll down tears.”
No doubt, this was a disappointing situation for the Indian hockey team. It
was a team which had won the gold medal for the country. It had played a
total of 39 matches in the entire tour, and only two of them resulted into a
loss. When they were abroad, volunteers were sent for their protection
whenever they got in or got out of trains, lest they should be crowded by the
fans, but here in their own country, there was no one who seemed to
recognise them.
The team dispersed in Lahore. They took leave from each other.
Dhyanchand went to his family before joining his duty. From 1936 to 1939,
he played hockey on behalf of the army. He also passed some time in a
training camp at Pachmarhi.
Dhyanchand often recalled the period of his captaincy in which he led the
army hockey team to far-flung places in Manipur, Burma and Ceylon. The
only objective in those matches was to entertain the troops deployed on the
frontiers. Those matches did not beget them any prizes or rewards, but it did
not diminish their vigour and joy.
Dhyanchand wished to hang his boots after the 1936 Olympics, but the
respect that he earned from all over the world made him withhold his
decision. In the year 1938, he was decorated with the Viceroy Commission,
and thus he was promoted as a commissioned officer.
When the Second World War started, his regiment was sent to the border
to confront Japan. However, the English refused to send him to the
battlefield. It only goes to show how they respected Dhyanchand and his
talent. Later, he was also promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
After the war ended in 1945, he rested his hockey stick for some time. He
felt that he had reached the peak of his hockey career, which he had so
zealously maintained over the past two decades. He now opined that new
blood should enter the hockey field, so that people could get to see new
style of game, and it could occur only when he receded into the
background. Thinking this, he decided to bid goodbye to the game.

 28.
The African Tour
When India became independent, Dhyanchand was in Ferozepur, and
when it became a part of Pakistan, he returned to India. Dhyanchand was
part of India. So it was natural for him to live here. His friend, Dara chose
Pakistan for himself, and he shifted there.
When he was actively thinking of taking retirement from hockey, he
received a proposal for a foreign tour. In 1947, the East African Asian
Sports Union requested the Indian Hockey Federation to send an Indian
hockey team to East Africa for a series.
The request was proper, but it also contained a condition, and that was to
include Dhyanchand in the team. The immigrant sports lovers in East
Africa wanted to see Dhyanchand play and meet him personally.
How could Dhyanchand disappoint the immigrant Indians abroad? He was
of the constant view that the migrants should be made to realise in one or
the other form that the country has not forgotten them, and was with them at
all times, present or future. So, he happily consented to take up the cudgels
of captaincy for this hockey tour.
The letter that he received from the President of the Hockey Federation
said: “You people are not going abroad only to play matches, you ought to
consider yourself as the representatives of the country. You have to display
the highest standards of conduct and self-discipline in order to illuminate
the country’s name in the most prestigious terms.”
The whole team gathered in Bombay on 23rd November, 1947. They all
mounted the ship for East Africa on 6 December.
The team reached Mombasa on 15th December. The officials of the East
Asian Sports Union and Indians accorded them a warm welcome. They also
received welcome messages from the governors of Kenya and Uganda.
India played a total of 28 matches in all, and won them all too. The entire
team acted as members of the same family during the tour. Every care was
taken to lodge them comfortably, the and the team came true to its promise
which it had made to the President of the Indian Hockey Federation.
The players were welcomed and honoured at a number of places. The
immigrant Indians drowned them in a flood of dinners and feasts. Finally,
the team returned to India in a very joyful mood.

 29.
Final Days of Life
Dhyanchand dedicated his entire life to raise the standard of hockey to the
international level and enable it to get its coveted place in the international
arena. He raised hockey to a level which helped to bring dignity to the
Indians. The entire world came to know of the prowess of the Indian team
and realised that it was not an easy task to take on the Indian hockey team;
rather it was an impossible task. As we find people mad after cricket today,
that was the time when people were mad after hockey, and it was chiefly
due to the efforts that Dhyanchand made in the field of hockey.
He hung his boots after the Second World War. However, his love for
hockey did not recede. He continued to train the Indian teams for a long
time in the National Sports Institute, Patiala.
And then a phase came when everything started to undergo a change.
When circumstances change, the things connected to it too have to change.
When you have seen something at its zenith, it is quite heart-rending to see
it descend to its lowest ebb, especially for a person who devoted everything
of his for that cause.
Something of the sort happened with Dhyanchand too. There was a time
when he grew to be a synonym for hockey. The foreign countries resonated
with his name. His busts and images were installed in foreign countries.
Hockey stadia were decorated with his photographs. Gradually, the modern
era dawned, and with this, the value of things started to change. The falling
standards of hockey demotivated him greatly.
Today we can see that in all games, talent is recognised and given its due,
and the talented players are given adequate facilities so that they or their
families don’t have to face financial constraints later. However, the situation
was not such in that bygone era. It was not at all necessary for a world
champion to be rich too, or that the government would pay adequate
attention to his needs.
His family was undergoing financial crunch. The responsibility of the
children was not yet complete, and the means of fixed income had taken a
beating. This was the reason that he became a worried man. His family was
large. He lived in a joint family, and he was completely a broken man after
the death of his brother, Roopsingh. He could live only for a short time after
that.
The man who carried hockey to its zenith was not respected by the coming
generations. He wished to see hockey regain its prestigious place, and he
tried to do it devotedly and dedicatedly, and sacrificed his life for this
purpose.
When Dhyanchand fell ill, he was admitted in the Medical College in
Jhansi. When his condition did not improve, he was taken to the AIIMS,
Delhi. He had contacted liver cancer. Even during the last stages of life, he
perpetually thought of hockey and its future. The memoirs of his doctors
and family members reveal that Dhyanchand was much worried about the
future of hockey in the country. He knew that the players no more
possessed patriotism, perseverance and determination. Further aggravation
has been caused due to politicisation of the games.
The night of 2nd December, 1979 proved to be the final moment of his
life, and he departed from this world. The entire family sobbed. He was the
loved Daddaji for the young family members. His dead body was taken to
Jhansi by the Indian Air Force helicopter. It was kept in a public place to
allow people to offer their last tributes to him. A massive number of people
turned out to pay their final tributes to the great and favourite hockey
player. The final journey was taken out in a large procession. The Sports
Hostel, Lucknow and Heroes Club presented guard of honour with their
hockey sticks. The people bid him farewell with tearful eyes, and the
procession was showered with flower petals from rooftops and windows.
The Punjab Regiment had made arrangements for the final rites of Major
Dhyanchand with military honours. The commanding officer of the Punjab
Regiment wrapped his body in the Tricolour and the officers present there
offered their shoulders to him. The saluting contingent contained eleven
soldiers, accompanied by the military band dressed in black.
When the dead body of Major Dhyanchand was placed on the pyre, two
hockey sticks were placed on his body in a cross with a ball in the middle.
What could be a greater tribute than this to the magician of hockey?
His final rites were performed in his favourite Heroes Club grounds. As
soon as the body was engulfed in raging fire flames, the entire ground rent
with sobs. Now, people were parting with him with these slogans:
“Long live Dhyanchand!”
“Hail the magician of hockey!”

 30.
Honours and Rewards
Talent is not subservient to any honour or reward, but the country and
people honour their favourite person to demonstrate their affection and
respect, and bestow on him a number of rewards and prizes. They take pride
in honouring such a unique talent, and feel happy about it.
In the year 1956, the Government of India awarded him with the Padma
Bhushan. The then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad decorated him
with this award on 6th October, 1956. The decoration also contained a
citation, which said: “I, Rajendra Prasad, the President of the Republic of
India, award you the Padma Bhushan in recognition of your personal
qualities.”
In 1979, Major Dhyanchand departed for his heavenly abode. A postal
stamp was released posthumously in 1980. The Post and Telegraph
Department, on 5th December, 1980, issued the 35-paise stamp which is
proof enough of his achievements and patriotism.
In 1994, a former Member of Parliament from Jhansi requested the
government to declare the birthday of Dhyanchand as National Sports Day.
The then Sports Minister appreciated the proposal and after completion of
the required formalities in this regard, P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then Prime
Minister of India, announced 29th August as sports Day.
This was a matter of great pride and delight for the entire family of
Dhyanchand. They felt that Major Dhyanchand had been given the honour
that was due to him. Mother India had showered its affection on a true
patriot and son.
After 29th August was announced as National Sports Day, this day was
used to give awards pertaining to sports from the very next year, such as
Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, Rajiv Gandhi Khelratna Award and the
like. All these awards are given to recognise excellent performances on the
sports fields and contribution to them. With this, the Dhyanchand Award
was also initiated. The award by the name of this great player only is a
tribute to his greatness and profound talent, as well as his devotion and
patriotism.
When Dhyanchand won the Olympic medals, the country was under the
foreign rule, and this was a thing which pinched him greatly that he could
not play under the Tricolour. Despite his wish to the contrary, he was bound
to play under the Union Jack. He has noted in his personal diary that all this
was quite painful to him, for he wished to raise the prestige and dignity of
the Tricolour through his game.
The Indian Olympics Committee announced him as the ‘Player of the
Century’. In 2002, the National Stadium was renamed as Major
Dhyanchand National Stadium in his honour. In this stadium, located near
the India Gate in New Delhi, a large and huge salute of Dhyanchand has
also been installed. This task was accomplished by the efforts of Uma
Bharati, the then Minister of Sports, and the honourable Lal Krishna
Advani. The ceremony held on this occasion brought to light the
personality and contribution of Dhyanchand. The Indian Railways too
displayed its sentiments for the player, and announced the facility of
pension and free journey passes to the Indian players.
In India’s Gymkhana Club in London, an astro-turf has been named after
Major Dhyanchand, the world-renowned magician of hockey.
A statue of Dhyanchand has been installed in the Railway Institute in
Jhansi. The people of Jhansi too did not lag behind when it came to
honouring their favourite player. On a hillock in Jhansi, his statue has been
installed, which can be seen from anywhere in Jhansi. In a sports club in
Vienna, his statue has been installed in which he has been shown holding
hockey sticks in four hands.

The all-time great, the most accomplished player of hockey, and great
centre forward player, Major Dhyanchand and his family were sentimental
for hockey. This sentiment was even inherited by his son Ashok Kumar.
What could be a greater honour for a father that his son carries his traditions
forward that he inherited. His son Ashok Kumar had decided in his
childhood itself that he would bring glory to his illustrious father. He too
practised hockey very patiently and attentively. He took part in the 1975
World Cup and scored a goal against Pakistan in order to do his bit to lead
India to occupy the glorious position of the world champions.
Ashok Kumar represented India in four World Cups, two Olympics, two
Asian Games, as well as represented All-Asian Star and World Eleven
teams. He continued to give his unparalleled contribution a as player and
coach in the Indian Airlines from 1970 to 2002.
Ashok Kumar, already decorated with a number of awards and honours,
has been awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award for his accomplished
demonstration of the game of hockey.
It was an important thing for Dhyanchand that his son too played hockey
and was accomplishing great achievements. However, he was often worried
about the poor condition of hockey. He always dreamt that hockey should
once again regain its past glory and prestige and become the most important
game in India that it once was. He wished Indian hockey to be so strong as
to be able to hoist its flag all over the world.
Dhyanchand remained a polite and shy man all his life. Whenever
anybody admired him for his sports talent, he would say briefly: “All these
achievements are not mine alone, they belong to the entire team.”
In his autobiography, he has written: “You might know that I am quite an
ordinary man.”
We would like to add further to this that – this ordinary man had hidden in
him an extraordinary personality, for whom his faith lay in the game. What
could be a better tribute to this great man? Whenever we think of hockey,
the name of Major Dhyanchand comes first. He was truly a synonym of
hockey in no uncertain terms.

 Timeline
1905 – Born on 29 August
1921 – Joined Indian Army
1922 to 1926 – Exclusively played army hockey tournaments and
regimental games
1925 – Played for the United Provinces team
1926 – Selected for New Zealand tour as a player of Indian team
1928 – Participated in Amsterdam Summer Olympics
1932 – Captain of Indian Hockey Team for Los Angeles Olympics
1933 – His home team, the Jhansi Heroes won the Beighton Cup
1934 – Appointed as the captain for New Zealand tour
1936 – Captain of Indian Hockey Team for Berlin Olympics
1935 – Met Cricket world's legend Don Bradman in Australia.
1936 – Scored 6 goals in India's 8-1 victory over Germany in the Olympic
final
1937 – Promoted to the post of Lieutenant
1948 – Played his final international match.
1951 – Honoured at the National Stadium—with Dhyan Chand tournament.
1956 – At the age of 51, retired from the army with the rank of Major
Awarded the Padma Bhushan
1979 – Died on 3 December.
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