| Dhyan Chand (1905 - 1979) |
A man of few words, Dhyan Chand could make a hockey stick talk as no other player could. He was called the "wizard" of hockey, and each time he played, he mesmerised the world with his astounding ability to score goals at will.
He made scoring a goal look like the easiest thing in the world, but it required a true hockey mind to appreciate the skills that lay behind the dexterity.
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And yet, the explanation behind the genius was simple: whatever he did, he did it in the shortest possible time and with the least fuss. This simple trait however led many to erroneously believe that Dhyan Chand's prowess was a gift from heaven, and few realised the enormous intellect that lay behind it.
Hockey writers waxed eloquent about his wizardry. He was variously called 'a legend', his game was described as a 'juggling turn, it is splendid', 'full of finesse and to watch him was ecstasy'. The greatest tribute was paid to him by none other than Adolf Hitler, who watched as India decimated Germany 8-1 in the Berlin Olympics. When Dhyan Chand told him he was a sepoy in the Indian army, Hitler replied: "If you were a German, I would have made you at least a major-general." In the event, he retired as a major and continued to serve hockey to the best of his ability.
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| Category filed under: Sports |
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