With the ongoing 2016 Rio Olympics, there can be no better time to talk about Dhyan Chand India’s Hockey maverick, probably the greatest player of all time. He guided India to not one but three Olympic gold medals in the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics. Gold medals which indeed have their weight in Gold for they continue to elude India and here is a man who guided his team to three.
The legend of Dhyan Chand is just not confined to India, such was his genius that come August 15th, India 70th Independence day there will be a month long bilingual exhibition on the life and times of hockey wizard major Dhyan Chand at the Embassy of India in Berlin, Germany. The event is going to attended by German Parliamentarians Peter Stein, Kathrin Voglerand, Johannes Selle, along with the Chief of Protocol from the German Foreign Office, Jurgen Mertens and the mayor of Rothenburg, Dieter Kolle.
Along with them Olympic Gold Medal winners in Hockey Natascha Keller and her brother Florian Keller will be present on the occasion. Their grandfather Erwin Keller had in fact played against the Indian hockey team in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin which faced the 8-1 drubbing with Dhyan Chand scoring three goals himself.
India may not be a great hockey powerhouse now, but the legend of Dhyan Chand has been etched forever in our nations history. He was and will be one of the greatest sports person that India has ever produced. Even after 80 years of his last Olympic gold triumph he is still the inspiration for our sports person and will continue to be. As a mark of tribute his birthday August 29 is celebrated as the National Sports Day in India. On this day the President of India gives away sports-related awards to deserving sports persons and coaches at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Not only this India’s highest award for lifetime achievement in sports is the Dhyan Chand Award which has been awarded annually from 2002 to sporting figures who not only contribute through their performance but also contribute to the sport after their retirement. The National Stadium, Delhi was renamed Dhyan Chand National Stadium in 2002 in his honor.