Major Dhyan Chand: Know all about ‘magician of hockey’

Major Dhyan Chand, Know all about ‘Magician of Hockey’: Major Dhyan Chand, a famous Hockey Player is known by each and every individual. The sport of Hockey is incomplete without the name of Major Dhyan Chand. 29th of August is observed as National Sports Day to show our respect to the famous personality. The day is commemorated as the Birth anniversary of Dhyan Chand. At that time people thought that there was some magic in his Hockey Stick that made him achieve such a great height. There are several titles awarded to Major Dhyan Chand such as “Magician of Hockey”, “Hockey Wizard”, etc.  For more than decades, he served as the poster boy of Indian Hockey. In this article, we have mentioned all that one must know about Major Dhyan Chand, Magician of Hockey.

Major Dhyan Chand – Know all about ‘magician of hockey’ in Hindi

Major Dhyan Chand, Magician of Hockey

The important facts about Major Dhyan Chand, “Magician of Hockey” are summarized below.

• Major Dhyan Chand was born on 29th August 1905 in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh.
• He was born as Dhyan Singh to Sharadha Singh and Sameshwar Singh. His father was a soldier in the British Indian Army.
• Major Dhyan Chand’s younger brother Roop Singh was also a Hockey Player.
• Dhayn Chand completed his graduation from Victoria College in Gwalior in the year 1932.
• Dhyan Chand had an interest in wrestling during his childhood days.
• In 1922, at a very early age Dhyan Chand joined Indian Army and worked as a soldier.
• He used to practice Hockey at night after performing his duty in the moonlight so he was given the name, Dhyan Chand.
• Between 1922 and 1926 Dhyan Chand played various Army Hockey Competitions and Regimental Games.
• At the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics Major Dhyan Chand scored the highest 14 goals and was entitled with the name ‘The Magician of Hockey’.
• In his entire International career of Hockey between 1926 to 1948 Dhyan Chand secured more than 400 goals.
• The 1933 Beighton Cup final between Calcutta Customs and Jhansi Heroes was the favorite hockey match of Dhyan Chand.
• Dhyan Chand is considered as the greatest Hockey Player and he is entitled with the title of “Hockey Wizard”.
• Major Dhyan Chand imparted a huge contribution in making India win Olympic Gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936 Summer Olympics. India achieved the first hat-trick of winning Olympic Gold Medals.
• In 1956 Dhyan Chand retired from the Indian Army with the rank of a Major.
• In 1956, Padma Bhushan(third highest civilian honor of India) was presented to Major Dhyan Chand.
• In various reports it is mentioned that German Dictator Adolf Hitler offered German Citizenship to Dhyan Chand but he declined the offer.
• Major Dhyan Chand breathed his last on December 3, 1979.
• To pay tribute to Major Dhyan Chand the Indian Postal Department renamed the National Stadium of Delhi as Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, Delhi in 1979.
• In 2021,PM Narendra Modi declared that Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will be renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.