------------Dear Friends,

Today I have compiled and edited a write-up on Dhyan Chand, India's greatest spo
rtsman and world's greatest hockey player who rose to fame from his sheer talent
and skills.
I dedicate this write-up to Sunil Benjamin who is passionate about hockey and sp
orts and others in this group.
------------Major. Dhyan Chand.
Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905
3 December
who is widely considered as the greatest
is most remembered for his extraordinary
ympic gold medals (1928, 1932, and 1936)

1979) was an Indian field hockey player,

field hockey player of all time. Chand
goal-scoring feats and earning three Ol
in field hockey.

Known as The Wizard for his superb ball control, Chand played his final internatio
nal match in 1948, having scored more than 400 goals during his international ca
reer from 1926 to 1948. Dhyan Chand remains a legendary figure in Indian and wor
ld hockey.
Since Dhyan Singh used to practice a lot during the night after his duty hours,
he used to wait for the moon to come out so that the visibility in the field (du
ring his era there were no flood lights) improved. He was hence called "Chand",
by his fellow players, as his practice sessions at night invariably coincided wi
th the coming out of the moon.
In 1951, Captain Dhyan Chand was honored at the National Stadium -- with Dhyan C
hand tournament. The Government of India awarded him the third highest (then sec
ond highest) civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1956. His birthday is celebrate
d as National sports day in India every year on August 29th.
Dhyan Chand's father Sameshwar Singh was in the British Indian Army, and he also
played hockey in the army. Chand joined the Indian Army at the age of 16. He se
rved the British Indian Army from 1921 to 1947 and Indian Army from 1947 to 1956
. In 1956, at the age of 51, he retired from the Indian army with the rank of Ma
jor.
The Legend
His astounding skills have been glorified in various apocryphal stories and anec
dotes. A number of such these revolve around the fact that Singh had an extraord
inary control over dribbling the ball.
* Cricket world's legend Don Bradman and Hockey's greatest player Dhyan Chand on
ce came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian hockey team was in Aus
tralia. After watching Dhyan Chand in action, Don Bradman remarked "He scores go
als like runs in cricket.
* After India played its first match in the 1936 Olympics, Dhyan Chand's magical
stickwork drew crowds from other venues to the hockey field. A German newspaper
carried a banner headline: 'The Olympic complex now has a magic show too.' The
next day, there were posters all over Berlin: Visit the hockey stadium to watch
the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action.

* Legend has it that the Fuhrer Hitler was so impressed by Dhyan Chand's wizardr
y with the stick that he offered the Indian a chance to move to Germany and the
post of Colonel in his army, which the Indian is said to have declined with a sm
ile.
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