Historians believe that the game of hockey originated in Greece. Hockey is thought to have originated in later times, possibly from the game played by the Greeks in the fifth century BC with a long stick and ball bent towards the head. Apart from ancient Greece, this game was known by different names in different countries like Rome, Scotland, Egypt, South America. Archaeologists discovered a carving on an ancient wall in Athens. It depicts two men fighting for control of a ball with two sticks. Others stand by and watch their fight. According to researchers, this image indicates the antiquity of hockey. According to many researchers, such a scene of playing hockey has been recorded in a pyramid about three thousand years ago.
As far as is known, the first international hockey game started in 1895 AD. Roughly speaking, hockey was born in Greece, but hockey was played in England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most of the current rules of international hockey are developed in England. Ireland faced England in the first international match in 1895. England won the game 5-0. In 1908, the game of hockey was included in the Olympics and in 1942, the international governing body of hockey, the Federation Internationale de Hockey, was established. The first Hockey World Cup was organized in 1958. Currently, the main governing body of international hockey is the International Hockey Federation. Hockey World Cup was organized on their initiative.
This introduction is actually to say that India emerged as a major force in world hockey competition in the 20th century. Dhyan Chand’s name is intimately connected with this rise. This legendary hockey player was born on August 29, 1905. In his honor this day is celebrated as India’s National Sports Day. His father Sameshwar Singh served in the army. As a result Dhyan Chand came to Jhansi as a child. His father used to play hockey regularly in the army team. But Dhyan Chand’s main attraction in his childhood was wrestling, not hockey. Dhyan Chand himself joined the army at the age of 16. Dhyan Chand started playing hockey from there. Dhyan Chand’s original name was Dhyan Singh. He practiced at night as well. It is said that his teammates added the word ‘Chand’ to his name because he stayed up all night. Dhyan Singh became Dhyan Chand, the hockey wizard.
There are many legends about this legendary player. An interesting incident happened at the 1932 Olympics. That time India beat USA by 24-1 margin in Olympic hockey. And India beat Japan by 11-1. Dhyan Chand scored 12 goals. And his brother Roop Singh scored 13 goals. They had 25 of India’s total of 35 goals. The Berlin Olympics of 1936 were called by many as ‘meditational’. At this time, during the Olympics, there were posters all over the city of Berlin saying, ‘Don’t forget to come to the Olympic Stadium.’ An Indian magician will perform there. Naam Dhyan Chand.’ Such was the effect of his playing and the awe of the audience. Many people involved in sports research believe that it is difficult to say whether any single player associated with any sport in the world has had such an all-encompassing impact.
It is said that after the 1936 Olympics, Adolf Hitler, impressed by Dhyan Chand’s performance, wanted Dhyan Chand to take German citizenship and join the army of that country. But Dhyan Chand rejected his proposal. The player was later awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. The tradition created by his hand was later successfully carried on by the Indian side hockey players.
However, if Dhyan Chand’s playing career is to be measured in terms of mere statistics, there is a risk of getting it wrong. It must be remembered that at the time when Dhyan Chand was making his debut as a player, hockey was known as a gentleman’s game just like cricket or football. The game was dominated by the English for a long time after the First World War. This player first questioned that supremacy. It is true that he played for a British-ruled country, but at that time Dhyan Chand was one of the pioneers in building the confidence that Indians could compete eye-to-eye with the rest of the world. Later, the Indian team won the hockey by defeating the English team. It seems that the victorious players of that day must have remembered this legendary predecessor in the world of hockey with the loss of the former rulers of the country.
