Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo HockeyrsquosMagicianAuthor Dilip DSouzaIllustrator Mohit Suneja

Young Dhyan Singh simply lovedhockey As a boy he and hisfriends used to cut branches offdate palm trees and use them ashockey sticks

Not many know that he actuallyplayed for the Army long before hejoined the Army At 14 heaccompanied his father to a matchbetween two Army teams Whenone team fell behind in the gameDhyan told his father loudly that ifhe only had a hockey stick hewould take them to victory

2

A British army officer sitting nearby scolded Dhyan for boasting but thengave him a chance to play True to his word Dhyan scored four goals Soimpressed was the officer that he inducted Dhyan into the lsquoBachaa Paltanrsquoor the lsquoChildrenrsquos Platoonrsquo

The story goes that Dhyan liked to practise the game after his daily soldierlyduties were done But of course it was usually dark then and this was manyyears before the coming of floodlights So Dhyan used to wait to practice tillthe moon had risen

On full moon nights when dogs everywhere howl and the trees are bathedin a silvery glow you might have seen this slim young man with his flashinghockey stick propelling a ball rapidly across a playing field before slammingit into the goal

3

And because Dhyan would wait forthe moon his mates in the Armycalled him Chand and the namestuck Dhyan Chandhe waspolishing his skills in themoonlight

All that hard work paid off forDhyan People said he oftenpractised on railway lines notletting the ball fall off the rail as heran Thatrsquos probably why Dhyanmade a name for himself for hissuperb ball-control in real gamesafter all he had learned it the hardway on the tracks

4

Time and time again during a game he would run the whole length of the field opponents sprawling in his wakeball stuck like glue to his hockey stick until he sent it smoothly past a helpless goalkeeper into the net The greatrunner Milkha Singh once asked Dhyan how he had become so good at his game Dhyan said he used to hang anempty tyre from the goal and then hit hundreds of shots every day through the tyre Dhyan scored heavily and inthe years ahead he would win plenty of games and medals for India

But what really became his trademark was this incredible skill with his hockey stick this ability to control the ball asif there was nobody else on the field As if he was alone again practising under the full moon

But his stick skills alone would not have made Dhyan a champion In the team game that hockey is Dhyan wasalso the perfect team man As he ran up the field in his mind it was like a chessboard You know how in yourclassroom you can tell just where each of your friends sit You can point them out often even without lookingldquoKavyarsquos there Romilrsquos over thererdquo Thatrsquos what hockey was like for Dhyan Without looking he knew exactlywhere his teammates were and to which of them he could pass the ball

And those pinpoint passes only made him seem like even more of a magician Long after he retired he onceexplained his beautiful game ldquoThe secret is both my hands and also my mind and fitness routinerdquo

5

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Young Dhyan Singh simply lovedhockey As a boy he and hisfriends used to cut branches offdate palm trees and use them ashockey sticks

Not many know that he actuallyplayed for the Army long before hejoined the Army At 14 heaccompanied his father to a matchbetween two Army teams Whenone team fell behind in the gameDhyan told his father loudly that ifhe only had a hockey stick hewould take them to victory

2

A British army officer sitting nearby scolded Dhyan for boasting but thengave him a chance to play True to his word Dhyan scored four goals Soimpressed was the officer that he inducted Dhyan into the lsquoBachaa Paltanrsquoor the lsquoChildrenrsquos Platoonrsquo

The story goes that Dhyan liked to practise the game after his daily soldierlyduties were done But of course it was usually dark then and this was manyyears before the coming of floodlights So Dhyan used to wait to practice tillthe moon had risen

On full moon nights when dogs everywhere howl and the trees are bathedin a silvery glow you might have seen this slim young man with his flashinghockey stick propelling a ball rapidly across a playing field before slammingit into the goal

3

And because Dhyan would wait forthe moon his mates in the Armycalled him Chand and the namestuck Dhyan Chandhe waspolishing his skills in themoonlight

All that hard work paid off forDhyan People said he oftenpractised on railway lines notletting the ball fall off the rail as heran Thatrsquos probably why Dhyanmade a name for himself for hissuperb ball-control in real gamesafter all he had learned it the hardway on the tracks

4

Time and time again during a game he would run the whole length of the field opponents sprawling in his wakeball stuck like glue to his hockey stick until he sent it smoothly past a helpless goalkeeper into the net The greatrunner Milkha Singh once asked Dhyan how he had become so good at his game Dhyan said he used to hang anempty tyre from the goal and then hit hundreds of shots every day through the tyre Dhyan scored heavily and inthe years ahead he would win plenty of games and medals for India

But what really became his trademark was this incredible skill with his hockey stick this ability to control the ball asif there was nobody else on the field As if he was alone again practising under the full moon

But his stick skills alone would not have made Dhyan a champion In the team game that hockey is Dhyan wasalso the perfect team man As he ran up the field in his mind it was like a chessboard You know how in yourclassroom you can tell just where each of your friends sit You can point them out often even without lookingldquoKavyarsquos there Romilrsquos over thererdquo Thatrsquos what hockey was like for Dhyan Without looking he knew exactlywhere his teammates were and to which of them he could pass the ball

And those pinpoint passes only made him seem like even more of a magician Long after he retired he onceexplained his beautiful game ldquoThe secret is both my hands and also my mind and fitness routinerdquo

5

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

A British army officer sitting nearby scolded Dhyan for boasting but thengave him a chance to play True to his word Dhyan scored four goals Soimpressed was the officer that he inducted Dhyan into the lsquoBachaa Paltanrsquoor the lsquoChildrenrsquos Platoonrsquo

The story goes that Dhyan liked to practise the game after his daily soldierlyduties were done But of course it was usually dark then and this was manyyears before the coming of floodlights So Dhyan used to wait to practice tillthe moon had risen

On full moon nights when dogs everywhere howl and the trees are bathedin a silvery glow you might have seen this slim young man with his flashinghockey stick propelling a ball rapidly across a playing field before slammingit into the goal

3

And because Dhyan would wait forthe moon his mates in the Armycalled him Chand and the namestuck Dhyan Chandhe waspolishing his skills in themoonlight

All that hard work paid off forDhyan People said he oftenpractised on railway lines notletting the ball fall off the rail as heran Thatrsquos probably why Dhyanmade a name for himself for hissuperb ball-control in real gamesafter all he had learned it the hardway on the tracks

4

Time and time again during a game he would run the whole length of the field opponents sprawling in his wakeball stuck like glue to his hockey stick until he sent it smoothly past a helpless goalkeeper into the net The greatrunner Milkha Singh once asked Dhyan how he had become so good at his game Dhyan said he used to hang anempty tyre from the goal and then hit hundreds of shots every day through the tyre Dhyan scored heavily and inthe years ahead he would win plenty of games and medals for India

But what really became his trademark was this incredible skill with his hockey stick this ability to control the ball asif there was nobody else on the field As if he was alone again practising under the full moon

But his stick skills alone would not have made Dhyan a champion In the team game that hockey is Dhyan wasalso the perfect team man As he ran up the field in his mind it was like a chessboard You know how in yourclassroom you can tell just where each of your friends sit You can point them out often even without lookingldquoKavyarsquos there Romilrsquos over thererdquo Thatrsquos what hockey was like for Dhyan Without looking he knew exactlywhere his teammates were and to which of them he could pass the ball

And those pinpoint passes only made him seem like even more of a magician Long after he retired he onceexplained his beautiful game ldquoThe secret is both my hands and also my mind and fitness routinerdquo

5

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

And because Dhyan would wait forthe moon his mates in the Armycalled him Chand and the namestuck Dhyan Chandhe waspolishing his skills in themoonlight

All that hard work paid off forDhyan People said he oftenpractised on railway lines notletting the ball fall off the rail as heran Thatrsquos probably why Dhyanmade a name for himself for hissuperb ball-control in real gamesafter all he had learned it the hardway on the tracks

4

Time and time again during a game he would run the whole length of the field opponents sprawling in his wakeball stuck like glue to his hockey stick until he sent it smoothly past a helpless goalkeeper into the net The greatrunner Milkha Singh once asked Dhyan how he had become so good at his game Dhyan said he used to hang anempty tyre from the goal and then hit hundreds of shots every day through the tyre Dhyan scored heavily and inthe years ahead he would win plenty of games and medals for India

But what really became his trademark was this incredible skill with his hockey stick this ability to control the ball asif there was nobody else on the field As if he was alone again practising under the full moon

But his stick skills alone would not have made Dhyan a champion In the team game that hockey is Dhyan wasalso the perfect team man As he ran up the field in his mind it was like a chessboard You know how in yourclassroom you can tell just where each of your friends sit You can point them out often even without lookingldquoKavyarsquos there Romilrsquos over thererdquo Thatrsquos what hockey was like for Dhyan Without looking he knew exactlywhere his teammates were and to which of them he could pass the ball

And those pinpoint passes only made him seem like even more of a magician Long after he retired he onceexplained his beautiful game ldquoThe secret is both my hands and also my mind and fitness routinerdquo

5

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Time and time again during a game he would run the whole length of the field opponents sprawling in his wakeball stuck like glue to his hockey stick until he sent it smoothly past a helpless goalkeeper into the net The greatrunner Milkha Singh once asked Dhyan how he had become so good at his game Dhyan said he used to hang anempty tyre from the goal and then hit hundreds of shots every day through the tyre Dhyan scored heavily and inthe years ahead he would win plenty of games and medals for India

But what really became his trademark was this incredible skill with his hockey stick this ability to control the ball asif there was nobody else on the field As if he was alone again practising under the full moon

But his stick skills alone would not have made Dhyan a champion In the team game that hockey is Dhyan wasalso the perfect team man As he ran up the field in his mind it was like a chessboard You know how in yourclassroom you can tell just where each of your friends sit You can point them out often even without lookingldquoKavyarsquos there Romilrsquos over thererdquo Thatrsquos what hockey was like for Dhyan Without looking he knew exactlywhere his teammates were and to which of them he could pass the ball

And those pinpoint passes only made him seem like even more of a magician Long after he retired he onceexplained his beautiful game ldquoThe secret is both my hands and also my mind and fitness routinerdquo

5

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Talent is one thing Dhyan meantto say with those words and heknew he was blessed with handswonderfully talented for hockeyBut like all great sports stars healso knew that what makes yourtalent count is the hard work youput in To play as splendidly for aslong as he did he had to keep hisbody fit his mind sharp

Dhyanrsquos father Sameshwar DuttSingh served in the British IndianArmy and played hockey as well

6

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

His eldest son Dhyan was born inAllahabad in 1905 From a youngage people said of him he lovedthe milk sweet lsquorabrirsquo His mothermade the creamy delight for himwhenever she got a chance Didthat explain the supple wrists thethighs like steel springs thatserved him so well while playinghockey later in life Maybe But likeall fond mothers do she simply fedher growing son well with nothought of what he might laterbecome

7

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Transferred here and there throughout his career in the Army Sameshwar Dutt could never ensure a steady education for his children Only when theGovernment gave Sameshwar some land to build a house in Jhansi was heable to settle down But by then Dhyan had already dropped out of schoolafter just six years But though Dhyan wasnrsquot in school in Jhansi he took tohis fatherrsquos game with a passion By the time he himself officially joined theArmy at 16 Dhyan was already a fine player

8

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

By the mid-1920s he was a rising star in Indian hockey He toured NewZealand with an Army team in those years helping them win 18 of their 21games Naturally he was selected to the Indian team for the 1928Amsterdam Olympics

The team actually lost their last practice game ndash Dhyan scored their twogoals but their Bombay opponents replied with three ndash before leaving forEurope The loss only spurred them on They won practice games inEngland and Europe by such huge margins that when the Games began inmid-May the other teams must have been terrified of this Indianjuggernaut

9

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

In Amsterdam India thrashedAustria Belgium Denmark andSwitzerland In the final on May 26India hammered the NetherlandsDhyan and his team had sailedthrough the Olympics withoutgiving up even one goal Of their29 goals Dhyan scored 14

A local newspaper put it like thisldquoThis is not a game of hockey butmagic Dhyan Chand is in fact themagician of hockeyrdquo And everyonewho had ever seen the ball sticklike glue to Dhyanrsquos flashing stickknew just what those wordsmeant

10

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

India had won the Olympic gold medal in hockey And the best hockey player in the world already was this 22 year-old Indian wizard Only three teams played hockey at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles India beat Japan and the USA winning gold again

11

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Dhyanrsquos younger brother Roop was also in the team by then and togetherthe remarkable brothers scored 25 of Indiarsquos 35 goals This Indian team anAmerican journalist wrote was ldquoa typhoon out of the Eastrdquo  And the stormwas just getting started In their triumphant international tour of 1932 theIndian team played 37 games and scored 338 goals Dhyan fired home 133of those In 1934 it was 48 games for 584 goals Dhyan 201

12

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

And then came the 1936 BerlinOlympics Germany was then inthe early years of Nazi rule underAdolf Hitler Hitler believed thatGermans were superior in everyway to the rest of the world In theyears to come he would translatethat belief into some of the mosthorrible slaughter mankind hasever known But in 1936 Hitler sawthe Berlin Olympics as his firstgreat chance to show off histwisted ideas to his country andthe world

13

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

But Hitlerrsquos plan didnrsquot work very well and thatrsquos partly because of Dhyan and the Indian hockey team For thetyphoon out of the East hadnrsquot slowed at all India brushed aside Hungary the USA Japan and France to reach thefinal Never mind thought Hitler Germany had also reached the final and would show these little brown upstartsfrom the East their place And Germany actually scored a goal in the final which was one goal more than thoseother four countries combined had managed against India

Trouble was India scored eight What must Adolf Hitler have thought What did this debacle do for his notions ofGerman supremacy

Another Olympic gold for India Many more goals for Dhyan He was a superstar now the Roger Federer or RahulDravid of his time celebrated in India and known wherever hockey was playedYet with all those years of brilliance around the world Dhyan himself considered his best match to be the final ofthe 1933 Beighton Cup an Indian tournament Playing for his hometown Jhansi Heroes he sent a long pass to ateammate Ismail As Dhyan later said Ismail ldquoran with Jesse Owensrsquo speed half the length of the groundrdquo andthen scored the only goal of the match

14

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Always what mattered most toDhyan was teamwork Andperhaps his mention of Owens mdashthe great runner whose Berlinmedals also proved how twistedHitlerrsquos ideas were mdash is anindication of how much theOlympics meant to Dhyan

15

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Dhyan retired from the Army in1956 as a Major That year Indiahonoured him with the PadmaBhushan award He was thenappointed Chief Hockey Coach atthe National Institute of Sports inPatiala He coached there and atvarious camps around the countryfor many years He was delightedthat his son Ashok Kumar carriedon the familyrsquos tradition of playinghockey

16

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

A world-class hockey player himself who had inherited some of his fatherrsquos dazzling skills Ashok scored the goalthat won India the World Cup in 1975 Sadly by then India was already in decline as a hockey power that WorldCup was almost the last major world title India ever won The retired Major with his many memories of glorioushockey triumphs never came to terms with how India was now struggling to compete with the world in the gamehe so loved When India finished a dismal sixth at the 1976 Montreal Olympics Dhyan lamented ldquoKabhi nahinsocha tha aisa din dekhna padegardquo (I never thought Irsquod have to see such a day)

17

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Dhyan Chand spent his last years in his beloved Jhansi Residents would often see the great man about towngoing to the market or visiting friends or running errands on a sturdy bicycle He died in hospital in New Delhi onDecember 3 1979 He was cremated with full military honours at the Jhansi Heroes ground

18

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Today we celebrate his birthdayAugust 29 as our National SportsDay and Indiarsquos highest award forlifetime achievement in sports theDhyan Chand Award is namedafter him If ever India becomes apowerhouse in sports we can saywe owe it to the inspiration of thisman This magician who onceplayed hockey that thrilled theworld

This legend born under an Indianfull moon

19

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Dhyan Chandrsquos India at the Olympics1928 Olympics in Amsterdam The NetherlandsIndia-Austria 6-0India-Belgium 9-0India-Denmark 5-0India-Switzerland 6-0India-Netherlands 3-0

1932 Olympics in Los Angeles United States of AmericaIndia-Japan 11-1India-USA 24-1

1936 Olympics Berlin GermanyIndia-Hungary 4-0India-USA 7-0India-Japan 9-0India-France 10-0

20

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Story AttributionThis story Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquo Hockeyrsquos Magician is written by Dilip DSouza copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

Other CreditsDhyan Singh Chand Hockeys Magician has been published on StoryWeaver by Pratham Books The development of this book has been supported by PANIFoundation wwwprathambooksorg

Illustration AttributionsCover page A hockey match with captain Dhyan Chand in the middle by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 2 A man playing hockey alone on a full moon night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 licensePage 3 Dogs howling away at the moon through the night by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page4 A man playing hockey on the railway tracks by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 6 A boyplaying with a stick by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 7 Dhyan Chands life - from childhoodmemories of his mother to Olympics experience by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 8 Childrenplaying hockey in a ground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 9 A railway track in a dustybackground by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 10 A man playing hockey with his team byMohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 11 Two men playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy PrathamBooks 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 12 Berlin Olympics logo and a man playing hockey by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

This book was made possible by Pratham Books StoryWeaver platform Content under CreativeCommons licenses can be downloaded translated and can even be used to create new stories ‐provided you give appropriate credit and indicate if changes were made To know more about thisand the full terms of use and attribution please visit the following link

Disclaimer httpswwwstoryweaverorginterms_and_conditions

Some rights reserved This book is CC -BY -40 licensed You can copy modify distributeand perform the work even for commercial purposes all without asking permissionFor full terms of use and attribution httpcreativecommonsorglicensesby40

Illustration AttributionsPage 13 Hitler standing with his military staff by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 15 DhyanChand playing hockey in the Olympics by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 16 Hockey coachwith his team of young boys by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page 18 A group of men talking toeach other on a village road and a woman carrying a pot by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license Page19 Dhyan Chands statue at night in front of National Stadium in Delhi by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40license Page 20 A man honoured with garlands and rose petals by Mohit Suneja copy Pratham Books 2014 Some rights reserved Released under CC BY 40 license

This is a Level 3 book for children who are ready to read on their own

(English)

Dhyan Singh lsquoChandrsquoHockeyrsquos Magician The man who came to be called the Wizard of Hockey Dhyan Chand

started playing hockey with a branch of a palm tree What did he like toeat as a child How did he prove Hitler wrong Here is the story of aman who might just inspire you to pick up a hockey stick and play

Pratham Books goes digital to weave a whole new chapter in the realm of multilingual childrens stories Knitting together children authors illustrators andpublishers Folding in teachers and translators To create a rich fabric of openly licensed multilingual stories for the children of India and the world Our uniqueonline platform StoryWeaver is a playground where children parents teachers and librarians can get creative Come start weaving today and help us get abook in every childs hand