National Sports Day 2022: Salute to Dhyan Chand on his 117th birth anniversary

National Sports Day 2022: It is impossible to talk about hockey in India without the mention of sports legend Dhyan Chand. The late hockey player was born on August 29, 1905. With his exceptional goal scoring feats, the player earned his name and fame in the field of Indian hockey. He earned three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936. For his contribution towards Indian hockey, Dhyan Chand was also known as The Wizard or the Magician of Hockey.

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He has been honored with several honors including the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian honor in 1956. Apart from this, the Government of India also celebrates his birthday on 29 August as National Sports Day.

On his 117th birth anniversary this year, here are some lesser known facts about the hockey player:

1. Born in Allahabad, Major Dhyan Chand was the elder brother of another hockey player, Roop Singh. His family played hockey for the British Indian Army.
2. He graduated from Victoria College, Gwalior in the year 1932.
3. During his childhood, Dhyan Chand was very fond of wrestling. He had no particular interest in sports.
4. Dhyan Singh got the name ‘Chand’ when his fellow players saw him practicing normally during the night after duty hours.
5. The player was the leading goalscorer at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. He scored 14 goals while earning the rightful name as ‘the magician of hockey’.
6. For Dhyan Chand, the memory of his favorite hockey match was from the 1933 Beaton Cup final between Calcutta Customs and Jhansi Heroes.
7. Several reports mentioned that Dhyan Chand was offered German citizenship by the then German dictator Adolf Hitler. However, he turned down the offer.
8. In his playing career spanning over 22 years, Dhyan Chand has scored more than 400 goals between 1926 and 1948.

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