Legacy of Major Dhyan Chand
29 August National Sports Day :
August 29 is not merely a date in India’s sporting history; it is a day of faith and pride — the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand. This very day is celebrated nationwide as National Sports Day.
Dhyan Chand was not just a hockey player; he was a living legend, whose stick seemed to move the ball as if by magic. He won three Olympic gold medals for India (1928, 1932, 1936) and turned hockey into a national passion. It was largely due to his brilliance that hockey became India’s national sport. Though he never formally captained the team at the Olympics, his influence, experience, and quality of play made him the unofficial leader. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics final, India defeated Germany 8–1, with Dhyan Chand himself scoring three goals.
Dhyan Chand’s impact on world hockey was extraordinary and far-reaching. He was called the “Wizard of Hockey”not just in India but across the globe. At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, even Adolf Hitler was so impressed by his performance that he offered Dhyan Chand a high post in the German army along with citizenship — an offer he politely declined. His dribbling, ball control, and goal-scoring ability stunned players across Europe and Australia. Foreign media famously wrote: “It seems the ball is glued to his stick.”
Major Dhyan Chand’s contribution was not confined to his spectacular performance on the field. He also played a vital role in nurturing future generations of Indian hockey. During his service in the army, he trained the Army hockey teams, helping the force emerge as a powerful hockey unit. He also coached at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala, from where many national and international players emerged.
His influence on players was profound. His son Ashok Kumar, a member of India’s 1975 World Cup-winning team, grew up in an atmosphere shaped by discipline and inspiration. Great players such as Balbir Singh Sr., ZafarIqbal, Mohammed Shahid, Dhanraj Pillay, and many other acknowledged Dhyan Chand as their source of inspiration.
The Wizard of Hockey was not only a hero in India but also an icon in Pakistan. After Partition, when Pakistan formed its own team, many of its legends admitted that they had learnt hockey by watching Dhyan Chand. Players like Mohammad Shahbaz and Hasan Sardar considered him a role model. In this sense, Dhyan Chand became a shared sporting heritage between the two nations.
His autobiography Goal remains a guiding text for players and coaches alike. In it, he stressed the importance of technique, discipline, and mental toughness. His greatest contribution lay in the fact that he went far beyond being a “direct coach” and became a symbol of India’s sporting culture and a cultural ideal.
Beyond hockey, Dhyan Chand inspired athletes from other sports as well. During the 1935 Australia tour of the Indian hockey team, cricketing great Sir Don Bradman watched him play and remarked: “He scores goals like runs in cricket.” This later became popular in the shorter phrase: “Dhyan Chand is the Bradman of Hockey.” Similarly, Indian cricket legend Kapil Dev often said that Dhyan Chand’s selfless sportsmanship and patriotism deeply inspired him.
Even today, Dhyan Chand’s discipline, fitness, and sports-focused lifestyle serve as an ideal for athletes in athletics, badminton, wrestling, football, and kabaddi. Sporting icons such as P. T. Usha, PrakashPadukone, P. V. Sindhu, Saina Nehwal, AbhinavBindra, Sushil Kumar, and Yogeshwar Dutt have all regarded Dhyan Chand as a source of inspiration in Indian sporting culture. This is why his birth anniversary, August 29, is celebrated across the nation as National Sports Day, encouraging athletes of every sport to draw motivation from him.
Is the Bharat Ratna greater than Dhyan Chand’s genius?
The Bharat Ratna is India’s highest civilian award, conferred for exceptional service in fields such as art, literature, science, social service, and sports. It represents the nation’s gratitude, but it cannot be the ultimate measure of one’s genius. In this perspective, Major Dhyan Chand stands above the award itself. He was India’s identity even in an era when the nation was under colonial rule. His genius was a living symbol of national pride and sportsmanship. Bestowing the Bharat Ratnaupon him would not elevate Dhyan Chand’s stature — rather, it would enhance the dignity of the award itself.
Major Dhyan Chand is not just a name, but an era in Indian sports — an era we must know, honor, and carry forward as our collective responsibility.
