Saturday marks the 115th birth anniversary of the golden star in the history of sports India. If Major Dhyan Chand GV, the legendary man who has no equal in world hockey and Indian sports, would have turned 115 years old. The country celebrates his birthday as National Sports Day in his honor.
Born on August 29, 1905 in Allahabad, British India, Dhyan Chand set the world ablaze with the magic of hockey sticks. Dhyan Chand became the idol of the country, leading India to gold in three consecutive Olympics (1928, 1932 and 1936) during the domination of the hockey field by the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. With the birth of many meditators following that path, India became undeniable in Olympic hockey. By 1980 Moscow had won eight gold, one silver and two bronze.
He impressed with his goal-scoring prowess. Opponents were skeptical of the hockey stick. Bradman’s words were that you score goals as you score runs. The patriot who looked at the face of Hitler who was invited to the German army and called out that India is not for sale. Dhyan Chand, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956, died in 1979.
