Bindra Strikes Gold: A Rare Moment for National Pride
Palash
Troubled Galaxy Destroyed Dreams: Chapter 43
Palash Biswas
http://troubledgalaxydetroyeddreams.blogspot.com/
Abhinav Bindra strikes Gold in Beijing Olympics. It must have injected
the most wanted Booster in the Indian Squad and perhaps we may hope
something more at last!
It is a rare moment of glory and Pride for we Indians as a Nation
after such a long time! We had the same feeling when we won Gold for
our Hockey in Moscow Olympic in 1980. Other wise we had to bank on the
Prudential cup Win in 1983 or the Twenty 20 World Cup victory!
Now the sport in India is in tatters. Earlier this year, the Indian
men's hockey team failed to qualify for the Games for the first time
ever!
Hockey is one of the many sports derived from pre historic man's
delight in stick and ball games. It is a game played between two teams
on a field with curved sticks and a small hard ball. Its birth place
was Asia and authorities credit Persia with having devised it about
2000BC. Modern hockey was created in England. The true ancestor of
hockey was Irish hurling. The first hockey club was formed in
Blackheath in 1861. The first international match was played in 1895
between England and Ireland. In 1908 hockey was included in the modern
Olympic Games. The most extra ordinary aspect of its evolution is that
a game once so rough and unruly was adopted by women.
Hockey became popular in India when the British Regiments played the
game in India and introduced it in the British Indian Regiments who
quickly picked up the game. The first hockey club was formed in
Calcutta in 1885-86 followed by Bombay and Punjab. The Bengal Hockey
was the first Hockey Association in India founded in 1908. With the
popularity of the game, associations were formed in different states
like Bombay, Bihar, Orissa and Delhi. In Olympic games India played
hockey for the first time in 1928 held in Amsterdam and won the title.
India lifted the Olympic Hockey Crown for five time in a row. India's
first Olympic entry in hockey culminating in victory gave the Indian
Hockey Federation a name and reputation. Dhyan Chand, Allen, Norris,
Pinniger, Yusuf Gateley and Cullen were some of the brilliant hockey
players. Women in India have also been taken up to hockey. Women's
hockey has been included in the Asiad 82. Their standard of play is
fairly good. A series of coaching camps has helped the players attain
a commendable standard.
India's 23-year-old Abhinav Bindra created history today in Beijing,
by wining the first gold medal in any individual category for India in
the 108-year Olympics history. He won the gold medal in men's 10-meter
air rifle event after earning a total of 700.5 points. Earlier,
Abhinav, who became the first Indian individual gold medallist at the
Olympics, had qualified for the men's 10m air rifle event finals. He
finished the qualifying event joint fourth with Romania's George Alin
Moldoveanu after the duo shot a score of 596/600.
He scored a series of 100,99,100,98,100 and 99 in the qualifiers.
However, India's other medal hope Gagan Narang failed to make the
final cut in the same event finishing ninth with a score of 595/600.
He shot a series of 97, 100, 100, 100, 98 and 100.
Abhinav, who was the youngest Indian participant at the 2000 Olympic
Games, won six gold medals at various international meets in 2001. In
the Air rifle event at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, Manchester, he won
gold in the Pairs event and silver in the individual event. At the
2004 Olympic Games, he broke the Olympic record but failed to win a
medal.
He is a recipient of the Arjuna award in 2001 and the Rajiv Gandhi
Khel Ratna award for the year 2001-2002.
Praksh Singh Badal, the Punjab Chief Minister reacted quite instantly
and declared an amount of Rs One corore as Prize for the Olympian
Sensation. And the politicians and associations countrywide followed
suit.
My wife Sabita was browsing the channels and in a overwhelming mood
asked suddenly,` Provided Dola Bannerjee wins another Gold in
archery, what prize the West Bengal Government would declare?’
My son ES was trying to hijack our moments of glory and was to keen
to follow latest World Classic in cinema. I had a real debate with
him. I told him about our childhood and the Hockey Magician Dhyan
Chand. Me and Savita, as responsible parents tried our best to inject
some sensitivity involving nationality and our glory as an Indian! We
rather tried our best to explain the meaning of this Gold Fest! We
don`t know whether we succeeded!
I reacted,` West Bengal Government has to do Nothing! I may say that
the Bengali Dailies would post screaming headlines as BANGA LALANAAR
VISHWA VIJOYA! It would be our only capital to bank on!’
Then, I added,` don`t be demoralised! Whether the government does
something or not, nevertheless, the Ruling Party CPIM would offer Dola
a Loksabha ticket, I am sure!
ES laughed aloud! He understood the communication very well. I
suppose.
CPIM made Jyotirmoyee Sikdar a Party MP. Bula Chowdhury was admitted
in State Assembly as a CPIM MLA. What CPIM contribute in their sports
career? Dola Bannerjee had to shift in Jharkhand. She won the World
Championship and West Bengal neglected her. What was done for Soma
Biswas? What treatment has been offered to Sushmita Singh Roy? What
has done the West Bengal left Front government to promote sports? They
did not allow Astro Turf as they treat Hockey as an alien game! Then
what they did for Foot Ball, Athletics, Gymnastics and indigenous
sports? The MNCs as well as the governments have all the time in this
galaxy to pose with Cricket Icons while our Olympians have to starve
or sell their medals. All honour is reserved for the Cricket only! We
have to pity for Jafar Iqbal, Md. Shaheed, Dungdung, Surjeet, Ashoka,
Gurbux, Marvin and all the Hockey players!
The debate continued in Barrack Pur Princep Ghat down train.The daily
passengers remembered Dhyanchand so overwhelmingly and regretted the
Hockey demise so aloud that I was quite surprised.
Dr Mandhata Singh joined us from Dumdum Junction and then, we ate two
samosaas each despite being diabetic to celebrate the individual Gold
in Olympic for which we as Indian had to wait One hundred and Twelve
years.
An unknown co passenger said,` We have to take an initiative as Civil
society a whole to enforce a policy decision which might change the
Indian psyche about sports!’
Then we spent almost an hour to debate the potentiality of language,
films and sports to bind us into Indian nation!
I had to say,` United States of America, former USSR and present
Russian federation, Germany, Latin America, Korea, japan and China
spend billions on sports! Is it in vain? What is the logic? China
emancipated itself as the Resistance superpower with Beijing Olympics!
Where as fifty percent of Indian children have to starve! Most of the
children are deprived of childhood. They have to skip enlightenment as
they have no purchasing power to get entry in Education market. In
India, the students give up sports as early as on primary level as
sports may not create any job or livelihood opportunity!’
Dr Mandhata opined on National leadership and governance. He said, `
in pre Independence era, we have at least an international language as
the communication medium. National issues were focused very well. It
is a pity that after full six decades we have to create a
communication language! We have no communication among us. How may we
influence the process of policy making!’
Even the common People commented on the demise of Hockey, Football and
Athletics. It is an irony that at the moment of glory we were mourning
for Hockey!
In our student life, We played only Hockey besides indigenous games in
vogue in our North Indian rural world.
I still feel the romance and excitement of a Centre forward having
scored a goal! I lost the `D’ as soon as I passed High
School!It happened to almost all of us.I was over doped literature. I
just remained a debater in my college life and forgot all forms of
sports!
Dr Mandhata Singh commented,` Why sports only? What about the
Humanities? We were so aware of our studies in Humanities! What
happens now? The ruling class emphasises on Technology only. You have
not to learn your mother language. Even you have not to study English
as a language! Just try some crash course on spoken English! If you
have some professional diploma or degree under your belt, you would
get the job!’
`We have left out all humanities and thus, we are deprived of
humanity! We are deprived of human rights, civil rights and we never
know. We are citizens of India and are Enslaved as we have been for
thousands and thousands years! We get never enlightened. We lose every
opportunity of participation. nothing may awaken us! Even not an
Olympic Individual gold! We bear the legacy of inherited inequality
and injustice. The entrained discussion proved to be very fruitful as
the people realised very well the MNC role to promote only Cricket
Icons! We discussed LPG and neo liberalism. We discussed caste system
and apartheid! We discussed social honesty and commitments. We
discussed the indigenous folk aesthetics , too!
In Nainital, we had an Icon also during our college life. Saiyed Ali
was the first Olympian from Nainital. He studied in CRST college and
we were the students of GIC. But we had to feel proud for the hockey
Player as being Nainitali. We had not any radio set with us. It was a
time when we could not imagine any existence of TV or Live coverage.
We had to depend on relay transmission by Jasdev Singh, Sushil Doshi
and others! And we could see our team in the playground staking
everything for the national pride.
We get so much so enjoyment and sexual exposures nowadays with IPL
version of live coverage that we lost the sentiment of National glory
and National pride!
The horse trading in Trust Vote in the Reality Nuke Hindutva Opera in
Indian Parliament insulted us all as Indians.
Thanks Abhinav, my dear! We feel the lost glory! We touch the lost
memories of the glorious past! We remeber Dhyan Chand as a Nation at
last!
Why did Abhinav Bindra, India's only individual Olympic gold medal
winner, take to shooting?
"Because I liked the idea of fame", said Bindra soon after firing his
way into Olympic immortality here on Monday.
Son of a successful businessman in Punjab, Abhinav began practicing
shooting at the age of 15 and his father's financial standing provided
him with the best competition and training equipment.
Bindra said he has an air-conditioned shooting range with a totally
computerised Target Transportation System of international standards.
After the disappointment in Athens Olympics in 2004, Bindra shot into
international fame by winning the gold medal at the World
Championships in Zagreb two years later.
Prior to that, he had bagged the bronze at the Munich World Cup and
competed as the youngest shooter at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 at the
age of 18. He was the youngest Indian to represent India at an Olympic
Games where he had to remain content without a medal.
If legendary Olympian runner Milkha Singh had his way, Abhinav Bindra
would get the country's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna for
winning India its first individual gold medal.
"I am so happy. My dream to see India win an individual gold medal in
the Olympics before I die has been fulfilled," an emotional Milkha
Singh told IANS over the phone from Chandigarh after Bindra Monday won
the 10-metre air rifle event at Beijing, India's first Olympic gold in
28 years.
Recalling his personal experience at the Rome Olympics in 1960 when he
narrowly lost the bronze, Milkha Singh said Bindra's success seemed to
have given him his "lost medal" back.
"Bindra's feat makes me feel like I have got my Olympics medal back.
His success is an inspiration to young sportspersons and especially
the Olympics team there to do their best. If you ask me, Bindra should
be awarded the Bharat Ratna once he is back home," he said.
For double trap shooter Ronjan Singh Sodhi, Bindra's success proved
that those who didn't have faith in the Olympics team were wrong.
"I have always told people that one can't say how many medals can be
won, but that doesn't mean that you are any less hardworking. Abhinav
worked hard for four years for this one day, and he did it," Sodhi
said.
"I would also say that Abhinav had luck on his side. He went with an
aggressive mindset first and then became defensive, which worked for
him. Let's just hope that we get more medals. Those like (badminton
player) Saina Nehwal, for instance, are doing very well," he added.
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi had earlier
described Bindra was the new icon for the Indian youth.
"It's a great day in the history of Indian sports. Finally, we have
won an individual gold. The last time we saw a gold medal was when the
Indian hockey team won it in 1980. (The) youth in the country have got
a new icon in Abhinav Bindra. I hope they will now be drawn more
towards Olympic sports," he said.
India's World Cup winning captain and cricketing legend Kapil Dev on
Monday termed Abhinav Bindra's gold winning feat as the biggest
sporting achievement of the country.
Kapil said winning country's first individual Olympic gold is a far
bigger achievement than the 1983 cricket World Cup triumph.
The former-all-rounder also hoped that the feat would have the same
effect in India's sporting scene as the '83 world cup win had on
popularity of cricket.
"Bindra has done the country proud. This is far bigger than any other
sporting achievement. It is difficult to compare India's sporting
laurels but I think this one has eclipsed all other feats," Kapil
said.
"It is very difficult for any Indian sportsperson to win medals in
international competition, leave alone Olympics. Because they have to
perform under pressure and with no resources available. It is against
heavy odds. Bindra's effort will inspire others to win more laurels.
They will do much better in times to come."
India's one-day captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he would like to
congratulate Bindra personally.
"This is a proud moment for any Indian. A gold medal in Olympics is
the biggest glory any sportsperson can think of. I am sure his family
must be very proud of him today," said Dhoni.
Yuvraj Singh, who hails from Bindra's hometown Chandigarh, said: "He
(Bindra) has put in a lot of effort to achieve this success. I am very
happy."
NDTV reports:
Abhinav Bindra's gold haul for the country in the Beijing Olympics has
not only brought laurels to the shooter but it is also raining money
in plenty for him.
The Punjab government on Monday announced a cash reward of Rs.10
million (Rs.1 crore) for the shooter as per its sports policy after
Bindra won India's first individual gold medal in Olympics history. He
won the title in the 10-metre air rifle shooting event on Monday.
"We in Punjab are proud of Abhinav Bindra's remarkable feat. We hope
that his performance is a morale booster to other youngsters to do
well in sports," Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said.
Though Abhinav has lived and studied mostly in Chandigarh, the joint
capital of Punjab and Haryana, his family is now based at their
farmhouse near Zirakpur town in Punjab, 15 km from here.
The neighbouring Haryana government too announced a reward of Rs.2.5
million (Rs.25 lakh) to Abhinav for his feat and the Chandigarh
administration announced another cash reward of Rs.500,000 for Abhinav
Bindra.
The Madhya Pradesh government also announced a cash prize of Rs.
500,000 for the shooter.
NDTV reports further:
India's Abhinav Bindra has won India's first-ever individual Olympic
gold in the men's 10-metre Air Rifle event in Beijing. And he now
hopes that his Olympic gold will change the face of sports in the
country.
Bindra shot 104.5 to take his total to 700.5 in the final. In ten
rounds, he shot 10.7, 10.3, 10.4, 10.5, 10.5, 10.5, 10.6, 10.0, 10.2,
10.8 to clinch the first berth. China's Qinan Zhu won silver while
Finland's Henri Hakkinen won bronze.
As he wrote history, the 25-year-old was poise and grace personified,
talking about his attaining Olympic immortality and its possible
ramifications in a country that remains almost biased towards cricket.
"I sincerely hope my medal changes the face of India's Olympic
sports," the bespectacled shooter said after winning the gold at the
Beijing Shooting Range on Monday.
"For me, life will go on as usual but I sincerely hope Olympic sports
get a leg-up. It's not a priority back home and I hope more focus is
paid to these events," said the shooter from Chandigarh.
Asked about his scorching run in the finals, Abhinav said it was a
conscious plan to pull out all stops and it paid off.
"I entered the final as fourth, which means I had to go all out for
it. That's why I was so aggressive and it paid off in the end," he
said.
Asked when he realised that he was at the threshold of history,
Abhinav said, "I was not bothered about history. All I wanted to was
to shoot aggressively and score well and that's exactly what I did.
"I started my sighting on a poor note but soon things started going my
way and it remained so. I guess this was my day."
Abhinav, whose career at one stage was jeopardised by a nagging back
injury, said it was not easy to keep himself keyed up all along.
"I worked hard, left home and trained in Germany. It only proves that
if you keep working hard, you would have your day someday and
fortunately, it was my day today.
"My parents, family and coaches stood by me all along and I owe it to
them," he said.
Sania retires hurt from tennis singles
India's Sania Mirza retired hurt from her first-round Olympic Games
clash against Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic on Monday.
Mirza, who only returned to the Tour in June after a three-month
absence following surgery on her right wrist, was down 6-1, 2-1 when
she pulled out.
"I've been feeling constant pain for the last two weeks," she said.
"I've been on pain killers for the last six days. I took four this
morning.
"It's unfortunate timing, it's very bad but there's nothing I can do."
The world number 26 said she would try to play the doubles tournament
with partner Sunitha Rao.
The tournament had already been rocked by a series of withdrawals with
top seed Ana Ivanovic joining the injury list on Sunday with a painful
right thumb.
Fellow Serb Jelena Jankovic, who was confirmed as world number one on
Monday, is also an injury doubt.
Russian star Maria Sharapova, Amelie Mauresmo and Tatiana Golovin had
already pulled out while 1996 champion Lindsay Davenport has also
ditched the singles with a nagging knee problem.
Mirza's retirement will temper Indian joy on the day shooter Abhinav
Bindra won the country's first ever individual Olympic gold medal.
Anup Sridhar loses in 2nd round at Olympics
Indo-Asian News Service
Monday, August 11, 2008 (Beijing)
Indian shuttler Anup Sridhar is out of the Olympic race, having gone
down 13-21,17-21 to Japanese Shoji Sato in the second round of Olympic
badminton at Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium in Beijing on
Monday.
Umrao Singh congratulates Bindra for winning gold
Jalandhar (PTI): Umrao Singh, President of Athletics Federation of
India on Monday greeted Shooter Abhinav Bindra for bringing laurel for
country by winning Gold medal in Beijing Olympics.
"Win of Bindra has brought hope of winning more medals in the ensuing
Olympic games in Beijing and it is greate victory from one of the
youngest sport person of Indian squad in Olympics", Umrao Singh told
PTI.
Bindra's Gold medal would definitely inspire other Indian sports
person and it was hopeful that India would improve in the medal tally
of Beijing Olympics.
By winning Gold, Bindra has become first ever sportsman who won Gold
in individual's sports as before it was only in 1980, India won Gold
through Hockey team, which even could not qualify for the Olympics
this time, he added.
Kumble congratulates Olympic gold medalist Bindra
Colombo (PTI): India Test skipper Anil Kumble heaped praise on Abhinav
Bindra for winning first-ever individual Olympic gold medal for the
country and congratulated him on behalf of his entire team for his
tremendous effort.
"Winning an Olympic gold medal is something really great and my
congratulations on behalf of the Indian cricket team. Congratulations
to Abhinav Bindra for a fantastic effort," Kumble said.
"It's a great effort to become a world champion and winning an
individual medal in a sport is a greater achievement," he added.
Bindra created history in the Chinese capital by claiming winning the
10m air rifle event today to give India its first ever individual gold
in Olympic.
Sikh shooter wins first ever individual gold for India at Olympics
Abhinav Bindra’s father says Gold proves Singh Is King, indeed
WSN Bureau
Abhinav Bindra, minutes after winning India's first ever individual
gold at Olympics
BEIJING(CHINA) / ZIRAKPUR(PUNJAB): A 25-year-old Sikh from Punjab has
won the first ever individual gold medal for India at the Olympics,
shooting in the 10m air rifle event at the Beijing Games in Beijing on
Monday. Abhinav Bindra shot an overall score of (596+140.5) 700.5 in a
thrilling finale which went right down to the last shot and proved, as
his father said, that Singh Is King indeed. The gold comes hours after
his family members and a large number of citizens held public prayers
a Chandigarh gurdwara, wishing for the success of the man many had
hoped will bring laurels to his community and state.
The silver in the event went to Chinese Zhu Qinan (699.7) while
Finland's Henri Hakkinen (699.4) had to be content with a bronze.
Bindra improved upon silver medal feat of double trap shooter
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore in Athens 2004. India and Sikhs everywhere
exploded in frenzied celebrations and the mood in Chandigarh and
elsewhere on the roads was exciting as strangers were seen
congratulating each other.
Bindra, a Khel Ratna awardee, had earlier won the gold medal in 2002
Commonwealth Games in the pairs event and silver in the individual
event.
In Zirakpur (Punjab), his father Dr AS Bindra, said he had been
waiting for this moment for years.
"We are feeling on top of the world and we cannot put our joy in
words. He has done the nation proud and also his city Chandigarh,"
Abhinav's parents Dr A S Bindra and Babli Bindra told reporters at
their farmhouse on the outskirts of the city.
Gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, center, with silver medalist Zhu
Qinan, left, of China, and bronze medalist Henri Hakkinen, of Finland
“My son has proved that 'Singh is King' in a real sense. He has
brought laurels for the whole Sikh community and for the whole
nation," said father A.S. Bindra.
Dr Bindra said after spending huge sum of money on Abhinav's training
and other stuff and then hard work put in by the champion had finally
borne fruit on Monday.
Abhinav's been a tale of sweat and hard work, stuff that is perhaps
common to all champions. He overcame a back problem to achieve such a
rare feat. Her mother, overcome with emotion, said she had a gut
feeling that her son would pull off. Of course, mothers always know
better.
Chandigarh obviously will now be waiting for big time celebrations and
Union as well as the city government were mulling over huge gifts to
shower on the star son.
Abhinav Bindra was only 12-year-old and after years of training at
home, the Bindras decided to send him to the German School of
Shooting. "He has been in some fine form over the last few months and
I guess he will face a stiff competition in Beijing. His event is in
the morning, so we all will be glued to our TV sets,” Dr Bindra had
said on Sunday, speaking during a prayer ceremony for Abhinav
organized at Sector 8 gurdwara in Chandigarh.
At the Sydney Olympics, Abhinav was the youngest Indian participant
but it was during the Manchester Commonwealth Games that Abhinav
hogged the limelight by winning the gold in Pairs event. It was
followed by a heart-breaking performance in Athens Olympics where he
finished seventh despite breaking the Olympic record. “Abhinav could
not forget Athens for a long time. It was bit later in the finals that
he realized that he was standing on a faulty board but it was too
late. He broke the Olympic record, but was not satisfied with the
seventh-place finish.
He had won the gold medal in 2006 World Cup. He has been training hard
and his coaches Gaby Bulhman, Timothy Harkness and Uwe Riesters were
confident that he will put his best foot forward this time.
11 August, 2008
Dhyan Chand
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Olympic medal record
Men's field hockey
Gold 1928 Amsterdam Team competition
Gold 1932 Los Angeles Team competition
Gold 1936 Berlin Team competition
Major Dhyan Chand Singh (August 29, 1905 – December 3, 1979) was a
former Indian hockey player. He was part of the Gold winning Indian
team in three Olympic Games (1928 Amsterdam , 1932 Los Angeles, 1936
Berlin). He was awarded the Padma Bhushan[citation needed], India's
third highest civilian honour, in 1956. He got the title "Chand" or
(moon) from his first coach, Pankaj Gupta, who had predicted that he
would one day shine like a chand or moon. Even today Dhyan Chand is
the only Indian sports person who can lay claim to be the unchallenged
master of a sport.
Contents
[hide]
1 Early life
1.1 The Making of the Legend
2 Player
2.1 1928 Amsterdam Olympics
2.2 1932 Los Angeles olympics
2.3 1936 Summer Olympics final
2.4 Fan incidents
2.5 Don Bradman and Dhyan Chand
2.6 Dhyan Chand's last days
2.7 Honours & Awards
3 Post retirement
4 Death
5 National sports day
6 Legends
6.1 Dhyan Chand Hobbies
7 See also
8 Notes
9 References
[edit] Early life
Dhyan Chand was born to a Bais Rajput, family in Prayag in Uttar
Pradesh. His father was an army subedar. His elder brother, Mool
Singh, was a Hawaldar. The family kept moving to different cities
because of the transfers of Dhyan Singh's father in the army. Due to
these family movements, Dhyan Singh could not study much and had to
terminate his education after Class Six.
The family finally settled in Jhansi. Being in the military, Dhyan's
father got a small piece of land in Jhansi for a house.
Young Dhyan had no serious inclination towards sports, though he loved
wrestling[citation needed]. Wrestling was a popular sport, and many
homes had 'akharas' or small arenas. Gamma was a famous wrestler of
that time, and Dhyan Singh, like other boys of his age, loved to
wrestle.
His hockey career had humble beginnings. Dhyan and other youngsters
used to cut a branch of a date palm tree and remove the leaves. With a
curve at its end, this branch would become an improvised hockey stick.
From old rags, they would make a ball. He started playing hockey
often, and soon people began noting that a small boy with a dark
complexion was playing hockey quite well.
Soon afterwards he moved to Jhansi where he spent his formative years.
After an early education he joined the Indian Army at the age of 16,
in 1922. He was a Sepoy of the 4/1st Punjab Regiment. Subedar-Major
Bhole Tiwari of Brahmin regiment noticed his dribbling skills. Born in
a Rajput family of Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, on August 29, 1905, he
was named Dhyan Singh. The Dhyan Chand family tree has 5 Olympic gold
medals, 1 Olympic bronze, 1 World Cup gold, 1 World Cup silver and 1
World Cup bronze medal.
Dhyan Chand's father, Subedar Sameshwar Dutt Singh, played hockey in
the army. He had 3 sons - Hawaldar Mool Singh, Major Dhyan Chand and
Roop Singh.
Dhyan Chand won the gold medal in the 1928, 1932 and the 1936 Olympic
Games. Dhyan Chand was married to Janaki Devi just before the 1936
Olympics. They had seven sons. They were based in Jhansi. The fourth,
and most famous, Ashok Kumar, scored the goal that won India the 1975
World Cup. That remains India's only World Cup title. Ashok Kumar also
won a bronze medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics, and a bronze and
silver in the 1971 and 1973 World Cup tournaments respectively.
One of his two brothers was Roop Singh, who too went on to become a
prolific hockey forward.Dhyan Chand's younger brother Roop Singh won
the gold medal in the 1932 and the 1936 Olympic Games. Roop Singh's
family was based in Gwalior. His son, Chandrashekhar played hockey for
India.
After an early education he joined the army at the age of 16 (in 1922)
and soon took to hockey, despite a childhood fascination for
wrestling. He was a Sepoy of the 14 Punjab Regiment.
Dhyan Chand quickly came to acquire dribbling skills. As Dhyan Chand
displayed his hockey skills, Pankaj Gupta, his first coach, predicted
he would one day shine like a "chand" [moon]. "That is how father got
his surname 'Chand',"[citation needed] said Ashok Kumar, his son,
himself a hockey Olympian who starred in India's 1975 World Cup
triumph.
A memorable incident started Dhyan Singh's hockey and army career.
When he was 14, he went with his father to an army hockey match. One
of the teams was down by 2 goals. Dhyan repeatedly told his father
that if given a chance, he could make the losing team win. Finally an
army officer allowed him to play. He went and scored 4 goals[citation
needed]. The impressed officer inducted him into the Bachaa Platoon.
Dhyan Singh joined the Army in 1922 as a Sepoy in Delhi's First
Battalion of the Brahmin Regiment. He was 16 years old. When Dhyan
received his first pay of just a few rupees, he was very thrilled.
While in the Brahmin regiment, he came into contact with his Subedar -
Major Bhole Tiwari. A keen enthusiast of the game and a good player
himself, Tiwari recognised the talent in Dhyan Singh. He became
Dhyan's guru and laid the foundations of his game.
Tiwari made one thing clear to Dhyan - although he had dribbling
skills and could win him much applause, hockey was a team game and he
should not hang on to the ball for too long. He should pass the ball
at the correct time. One could score goals not only by hitting
powerfully, but also by clever placing and pushing of the ball.
Tiwari and Dhyan Singh had no fixed time to play. In fact, Dhyan
played hockey a lot as that was the only outdoor game his regiment
played.
The British officers also encouraged Dhyan Singh. He learnt from them
their dedication and their 'never-say-die' attitude. He started
thinking a lot about the tactics of hockey. He assimilated all the
suggestions and strategies that he received from others, and
supplemented them with his own dazzling style.
Dhyan Singh had also to devote attention to army duties, and could not
find enough time for practice. So while his regiment rested at night,
he practised alone on the field with a ball and a stick. While they
rested, his army mates could hear him hitting the ball at night. This
was how Dhyan Singh became Dhyan Chand because he used to practise the
game under moonlight.
[edit] The Making of the Legend
It was the final of the Punjab Indian Infantry tournament in Jhelum.
His side was losing the match by two goals. With only four minutes to
go, his commanding officer called out, 'Aage bado jawan, kuch toh karo
Dhyan' [Go forward soldier! Do something about it Dhyan!]" Dhyan Chand
did something about it. He scored three goals in four minutes to lead
his team to victory.
The UP team was leading by three goals to one, and there was only a
minute left for play. Hopeless as the situation looked, Punjab never
gave up trying, and scored a goal to reduce the arrears to one. The
spectators applauded the goal, but only half-heartedly, as if paying
tribute to a plucky side who they thought were fighting in vain.
Indeed, there did not seem to be time for another goal. But Feroze
Khan, the Punjab centre-forward, shot away for the UP goal straight
from the bully-off, went through the opposing defence and had the ball
in the net before anyone quite realized what was happening.
The outstanding forward on the field was Dhyan Chand, the UP centre-
forward, who is likely to be chosen for the Indian team that is to
visit England and play in the Olympic Games in Amsterdam. Dhyan Chand,
in addition to his brilliant stickwork, was the main spring of his
side's attack. The opposing centre-half, Eric Pinniger, was unable to
hold Dhyan Chand in check, though he was very efficient when tackling
the other attackers.The crowd had been waiting for Dhyan Chand to get
going, and presently they were rewarded. There came the period when
Dhyan Chand demonstrated that as a centre-forward he has few equals.
His dribbling was of the irresistible variety. He seemed to be able to
pass opponent after opponent at will.' Dhyan Chand took the ball on
his stick and dribbled through the entire defence to score a goal. He
scored the second, and then the third in a four-minute span to snatch
a dramatic last minute victory.
It was after this match that Dhyan Chand earned the nickname "Hockey
Wizard". The legend of Dhyan Chand and his unbelievable feats on the
hockey field had begun.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was formed in Gwalior in 1925. By
then, the International Hockey Federation had also been formed. Both
the federations were doing their best to gain Olympic recognition for
their sport.
After successfully lobbying for hockey to be included in the Olympics,
the IHF made preparations to field its best possible team. In 1925, an
Inter-Provincial tournament was held. The selection of the Indian team
was to be based on the performance of the players in this tournament.
Five teams participated in this inaugural nationals - United Provinces
(UP), Punjab, Bengal, Rajputana and Central Provinces. Dhyan Chand got
selected to play for the United Provinces team. Dhyan Chand was
playing with civilians for the first time in his life. Today it seems
odd that it took him so long to play against civilians, but that was
the way hockey was organised and played in those days.
Dhyan Chand practised with his new team members and keyed himself up
for the big matches. In the first game against Punjab, on February 14,
Dhyan Chand's team drew its match 3-3. This was his first civilian
match. Dhyan Chand shone in this match with his passes and dribbling.
After being down by two goals, Punjab drew in the last minute of the
game. When the teams played again, Punjab's defenders kept an anxious
eye on Dhyan Chand. It was as if Dhyan Chand was the only forward! His
team won 3-1.
In the final against Rajputana, Dhyan Chand revealed his class. Dhyan
Chand scored one goal with a powerful hit that went into the net after
touching a defender's stick. He also scored the next goal. His
stickwork, combination with other forwards, and ability to break into
rival defenses was a prime factor in UP's victory in the inaugural
nationals.
After the tournament ended, there was a meeting between the players
and the IHF to discuss the event. Dhyan Chand felt that it was a good
idea because it would reduce the communication gap between players and
officials, like there exists one in Indian hockey today.
In 1932, India scored 338 goals in 37 matches, 133 being Dhyan Chand's
contribution. In 1947, he accompanied a young team to East Africa.
Then 42 and semi-retired, he ended up the second highest scorer with
61 goals in 22 games. 'Dhyan Chand treated everybody as pieces on a
board meant for his use. He'd know from his own movement how the
defense was forming, and where the gaps were. In other words, he was
the only imponderable, everybody else (opposition included) fell in
predictable patterns around him.'
After India played its first match in the 1936 Olympics, Dhyan Chand's
magical stickwork drew crowds from other venues to the hockey field.
A German newspaper carried a banner headline: 'The Olympic complex now
has a magic show too.' The next day, there were posters all over
Berlin: 'Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan
Chand in action.'
After every India match, hundreds of spectators would troop down to
the players enclosure and touch Dhyan Chand's hockey stick to see what
trick it was that kept the ball from leaving his stick as he dribbled
his way all over the field. One journalist reported: 'It looks like he
has some invisible magnet stuck to his hockey stick so that the ball
does not leave it at all.'
Dhyan Chand was the unanimous choice to lead India on a tour of
Australia and New Zealand in 1935. India played 48 matches --
including three Tests against New Zealand -- and won all of them. Of
the 584 goals the visitors scored, Dhyan Chand's personal tally was
200. Don Bradman was so surprised by the number of goals that he
quipped: 'Were they made by a hockey player or a batsman?'
Dhyan Chand returned to his barracks in the Punjab Regiment after the
1928 Olympic Games. There was no peace for him as his army colleagues
used to come and listen to his Olympic tales.
Emblazoned in gold on Dhyan Chand's jersey was his name. He owned the
centre-forward position from now on. Though India did have other
outstanding centre-forwards, none could match Dhyan Chand's game.
For 5 years in a row from 1931, Dhyan Chand helped his 14th Punjab
Regiment win the Punjab Native hockey tournament. Due to his fame,
opposing players used to specially target him. In 1933, Dhyan Chand's
Punjab regiment was playing a match in Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan).
With Dhyan Chand giving yet another display of his mastery in hockey,
the opposing team's centre-half lost his cool and hurt Dhyan Chand's
nose.
The game was stopped. After receiving first aid, Dhyan Chand returned
to the field with his nose wrapped in a bandage. He went to the centre-
half who had injured him and said, "Play carefully so that no one gets
hurt." Dhyan Chand then went on to score 6 straight goals.
There have been many stories on how Dhyan Chand's stick was changed to
see if he would still score goals.
[edit] Player
In a match in 1927(?) Chand exhibited his skills against the English
hockey team, netting 36 of India's 72 goals in 10 matches, at the
London Folkstone Festival.
In 1928 Chand was selected to represent the Indian hockey team in the
1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Chand helped India win
the gold medal winning the finals against the Netherlands by a score
of 3-0. He played in the centre-forward position and scored two of
India's three goals.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics held at Los Angeles, USA, the team under
Lal Shah Bukhari defended their title winning the gold. The team
routed the United States hockey team 23-1, a world record that stood
until 2003. He contributed eight of those goals, and along with his
brother Roop Singh formed a formidable core of the team. He scored 12
goals in India's two matches in that Olympics and he had scored 133
goals out of India's 338 in that year.
Dhyan Chand rated Beighton Cup final of 1933 as his most memorable
match. The match was played between Jhansi Heroes and Calcutta
Customs. Surprisingly, he did not score in that match. He only
provided the vital pass for the lone goal scored by the Jhansi Heroes.
On their return journey, the Jhansi Heroes were crammed in an
unreserved third class compartment. However, the warm welcome received
at the station made it the most memorable match for Dhyan Chand.
n 1926, there was talk of the Indian army sending a hockey team to
tour New Zealand. It was not in Dhyan Chand's nature to plead for his
inclusion in the team. He felt his merit as a player would decide his
selection. Being in the 'Other Ranks', he could not approach his
officers to discuss the matter.
Thus he was overjoyed when the commanding officer of his regiment told
him one day, "Boy, you are going to New Zealand." Though dumbfounded,
Dhyan Chand managed to salute the officer. Later, overwhelmed at this
opportunity, he broke down in his barracks. Tears of joy also came to
the eyes of Bhole Tiwari when he learnt that Dhyan Chand's
perseverance had finally paid off.
Due to lack of money, Dhyan Chand could not obtain good clothes for
the tour. His main personal outfit was his military kit.
In April 1926, the Indian army hockey team set off by ship from
Colombo. After 20 - 25 days on water, the team reached New Zealand in
early May.
This was the first team to represent India abroad in any sport. Thus
the players were conscious of the fact that they had to project a good
image. During a 1935 tour of New Zealand and Australia, he scored 201
goals out of the team's tally of 584 in 43 matches. Don Bradman and
Dhyan Chand once came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the
Indian hockey team was in Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand in
action, Don Bradman remarked "He scores goals like runs in cricket".
Dhyan Chand was hugely successful on this tour. In one match at
Dannkerke, India scored 20 goals out of which Dhyan Chand was
responsible for 10 goals. Against the New Zealand national team, India
won the first match 5-2, but lost the next 3-4.
Overall, India played 21 matches, won 18, drew 2, and lost 1. The
Indians scored 192 goals while conceding only 24 goals. Dhyan Chand
scored over 100 goals and became a popular player.
Indeed, such was his impact that two women followed the Indian team
from New Plymouth to Auckland only to see Dhyan Chand in action. The
told him that they could never forget his dribbling.
The Indian team was feted and honoured with feasts and lavish dinners.
The treatment that Dhyan Chand and the rest of his army mates got was
that of heroes.
News of Dhyan Chand's exploits reached India as the local newspapers
carried reports of the Indian team's progress. Dhyan Chand got
promoted to Lance Nayak on his return to India. The success in New
Zealand gave Dhyan Chand tremendous inspiration, and he felt there
should be no slackness on his part.
This 1926 Army tour started India's hockey story, and with it, Dhyan
Chand's legendary prowess.
Nearly half a century later, when Dhyan Chand's son Ashok Kumar
visited New Zealand, he was surprised to see pictures in many hockey
clubs of his father's 1926 Army tour.
On one occasion, a Dhyan Chand fan showed Ashok the cuttings on the
hockey wizard that he had collected and kept safely all these years.
Ashok had another touching experience. A man came up to him and showed
some wooden splinters that he had kept from Dhyan Chand's hockey
stick. During a match in the 1926 army tour, Dhyan Chand's stick had
broken and the maestro threw it away. The fans had made a dash for it,
and many people took away broken splinters.
In a match in 1927 he exhibited his skills against the English hockey
team, netting 36 of India's 72 goals in 10 matches, at the London
Folkstone Festival.
In 1928 Chand was selected to represent the Indian hockey team in the
1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Chand helped India win
the gold medal winning the finals against the Netherlands by a score
of 3-0. He played in the centre-forward position and scored two of
India's three goals.
On the field he was named the "Wizard of Hockey" for he exerted
complete control on the ball. It appeared that the ball used to stick
to his hockey stick while playing. Tokyo officials broke his hockey
stick to search for a magnet inside, and tried to console themselves
saying he had added some sort of glue. On one occasion, a lady from
the audience asked Dhyan Chand to play with her walking stick instead.
He scored goals even with them.
When everbody else thought he was going to shoot, he passed. On that
1947 tour, he put through a ball to KD Singh Babu, then turned his
back and walked away. When Babu later asked the reason for this odd
behaviour, he was told, "If you could not get a goal from that you did
not deserve to be on my team".
The hockey wizard not only mesmerised millions within pre-partition
India but became a household name in all hockey-playing nations. His
deft stick-work and amazing ball control left fellow players and
spectators awestruck. For two decades, until he bid goodbye to
international hockey in 1948, Dhyan Chand became virtually synonymous
with hockey, playing numerous matches and scoring hundreds of goals.
He was admired and feared by his opponents, who felt that the ball got
stuck to his stick when he played. But his fame notwithstanding, Dhyan
Chand, a centre-forward, was an innately selfless person. If he felt
either of the two flanks was in a better position to score, he would
flick the ball to the well-placed player instantly. To say he was an
icon is correct, but only a context can provide a precise measure of
such status. Gurbux Singh, 1964 Olympian, provides it when he
says,"When I grew up, to achieve anything in sport was to do it in
hockey." As the century turned into its last quarter, it held pre-
eminence, lifted by India's first Olympic gold in 1928 and kept there
till the `70s by a conveyor belt, so terribly rusted now, that rolled
out champions like fast food.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics held at Los Angeles, USA, the team under
Lal Shah Bukhari defended their title winning the gold. The team
routed the United States hockey team 24-1, a record that exists till
today. He contributed eight of those goals, and along with his brother
Roop Singh formed a formidable core of the team. That particular year,
he had scored 133 goals out of India's 338. He was supposidely so fast
that TV analysis of his gameplay was rendered too slow!
Dhyan Chand rated Beighton Cup final of 1933 as his most memorable
match. The match was played between Jhansi Heroes and Calcutta
Customs. Surprisingly, he did not score in that match. He only
provided the vital pass for the lone goal scored by the Jhansi Heroes.
On their return journey, the Jhansi Heroes were crammed in an
unreserved third class compartment. However, the warm welcome received
at the station made it the most memorable match for Dhyan Chand.
[edit] 1928 Amsterdam Olympics
In the first 3 modern Olympics (1896 - 1904), hockey was not one of
the sports included. Hockey made its debut in the 1908 London
Olympics, where England won the gold among 6 nations.
Excluded from the 1912 Olympics, hockey staged another comeback in the
1920 Antwerp Olympics. Four nations participated in the event, with
England yet again winning the gold. Hockey was not included in the
1924 Paris Olympics.
There was a strong possibility that hockey would be included in the
1928 Olympics. The International Hockey Federation, which was formed
in this period, was lobbying the International Olympic Committee to
include hockey in the Olympics.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), founded in 1925, was also lobbying
for hockey as an Olympic sport. In preparation for that possibility,
the IHF had already conducted its inaugural national championship in
1925. The successful Indian army tour of New Zealand in 1926 had
convinced the IHF that an Indian team should participate in the
Olympics.
However, one problem remained. As England had won both the Olympic
hockey tournaments held thus far, Britain was not keen that India,
then its colony, participate in the Olympics. After an appeal, the
British agreed to India's participation as the British Indian hockey
team.
It is a matter of record that from 1928 till India won independence in
1947, Britain never competed in the same Olympic hockey tournament as
India. The first meeting between India and Britain would take place
two decades later, in the 1948 Olympic hockey final at Wembley,
London. India won this match 4-1 to assert its hockey supremacy in the
world.
Anyway, the IHF got to send a team for the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics.
Dhyan Chand got selected in this first ever Indian Olympic hockey
team.
There was some alarm when the IHF said that they could send only the
minimum 11 players. Eventually, the availability of funds made it
possible for two more players to join the team.
Before leaving for Amsterdam, the Indian team played some trial
matches. The Olympians surprisingly lost to Bombay 2-3, with Dhyan
Chand scoring both his team's goals.
Could this first Indian Olympic team really win the Olympic gold?
Setting sail for Amsterdam on March 10, 1928, on the ship Kaiser-i-
Hind, Dhyan Chand never forgot the send-off. Just three persons, the
IHF president, the IHF vice-president, and a journalist wished them
bon voyage. Dhyan Chand later recalled that just these 3 persons, out
of around 400 million Indians, considered it important to see off the
players.
Some of the players who had never experienced a sea voyage before fell
sick. Since Dhyan Chand had travelled by ship earlier, he managed to
keep himself healthy.
The 9 countries participating in the 1928 Olympic hockey tournament
were India, Holland, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France,
Switzerland and Spain. Divided into two pools, the pool winners were
to meet for the gold medal.
On May 17, after having travelled thousands of miles from home, India
began their quest for Olympic gold and glory when it played against
Austria. The weather was fine, and the Indian team was confident and
determined. It was an easy game for India, and they won 6-0. Dhyan
Chand scored 4 of those goals, showing that he was in top form.
Against Belgium the next day, the Indian team made some changes and
won easily 9-0. India next played Denmark on the 20th, and the Danish
goalkeeper created many problems for Dhyan Chand and stopped certain
goals. India still won 5-0 and were through to the semi-finals.
On May 22, India beat Switzerland 6-0 in the semi-final. Thus India
qualified for the Olympic hockey final, where it would clash against
hosts Holland for the gold.
In the trial matches prior to the Olympics, India had beaten the Dutch
Olympic XI 8-1. This helped them get familiar with their Dutch
counterparts, and India was confident of beating them again. However,
Holland had the advantage of their home crowd support.
Many years later, Dhyan Chand recalled the 1928 Olympic hockey final
against Holland. "At this distant date, I still remember the
circumstances in which India took the field on May 26 to win the
highest honour in world hockey.
I was ill, and running a high temperature which persisted all
throughout the game. That day, our manager A. B. Rosser coined a
slogan for us - Do or Die. I was a soldier by profession, and when the
country's honour was at stake, there was no alternative but to march
boldly into the battlefield."
A huge crowd of 50,000 people had come to cheer their home team. In a
memorable encounter, India played attractive hockey and outplayed
Holland 3-0. Dhyan Chand had the distinction of scoring two of those
goals. Holland put up a brave fight that impressed Dhyan Chand.
Indian goalkeeper Richard Allen had the unique record of not conceding
a single goal throughout the tournament. Without doubt, India were the
champions of world hockey.
A newspaper report about India's triumph said the following, "This is
not a game of hockey, but magic. Dhyan Chand is in fact the magician
of hockey." Another newspaper commented, "It is not only the number of
goals that Dhyan Chand scores, but the way he scores them."
On May 29, the Indian team lined up to receive their Olympic gold
medals. When they returned to Bombay, instead of a mere 3 persons who
had given them a send-off, a heroes welcome awaited the Olympic
champions.
There was also a unique first - the gold medal won by the Indian
hockey team in 1928 was the first Olympic gold medal won by Asia in
the modern Olympics.
[edit] 1932 Los Angeles olympics
The Inter-Provincial Tournament, as the national hockey championship
was called in those days, was held just before the 1932 Los Angeles
Olympics.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) wrote to the Army Sports Control
Board for Dhyan Chand's leave for the nationals. Dhyan Chand was on
duty at a place called Waziristan in the remote North West Frontier
Province (now in Pakistan). His platoon did not give him leave for the
nationals.
Later, Dhyan Chand read about his inclusion in the Indian team in the
newspapers. This unexpected development pleased Dhyan Chand. Apart
from Dhyan Chand, Broome Eric Pinnegar, Leslie Hammond and Richard
Allen were the other 1928 Olympians retained in the team. Roop Singh
was also included in the squad, and he was to play as a left-in.
Just like in 1928, the problem of expenses came up again. The IHF had
to grapple with the task of raising funds to go as far as Los Angeles.
The IHF thought that a public appeal in the name of Mahatma Gandhi
would help them raise funds for the trip.
The IHF sent its representative, Mr. Charles Newman, to meet Gandhiji,
who was then in Simla for the Gandhi-Irwin talks. After Newman told
him the reason for his visit, Gandhiji simply asked, "What is hockey?"
The 1932 Olympic team played a couple of practice matches in India
before heading for Colombo. In two matches in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the
Olympic team beat All Ceylon XI 20-0 and 10-0.
Wrote one newspaper on the first match, "Perfection is perilous, for
it tempts the gods. For once, this was proved wrong for even the god
of weather paid tribute to the genius of the Indian players. Rain
clouds, which had threatened to ruin the game, vanished into the blue,
and thousands of spectators spent a happy hour marvelling at the
incomparable artistry of the Indian team."
The second match was witnessed by the Governor of Ceylon, Sir Graeme
Thompson, who remarked, "Is the match really over? I feel that I have
been watching the Indians play for only five minutes."
On August 4, 1932, India played against Japan and won 11-1. Dhyan
Chand scored 4 goals, and Roop Singh 3. By half-time, India was ahead
by 4 goals, leaving Japan no option but to play a defensive game.
Japan beat America 9-2 on August 6. India played America on August 11
to decide the gold medal. Some 5000 spectators and the local Indian
population came to watch the match.
Dhyan Chand recounted the match in these words, "On August 11, we met
the United States in the final match of the tournament. It was a
cakewalk for us, and we won by 24 goals to 1. A few American players
even suggested that to make it a contest, the Indians ought to play
left-handed or wear snow shoes.
At the interval, we were leading by 10 goals to nil. Incidentally, the
24 goals was a world record. I scored 8 goals, Roop Singh 10, Gurmeet
Singh 5 and Pinnegar 1. The lone American goal was scored by
Bodlington."
One Los Angeles newspaper wrote, "The All-India field hockey team
which G. D. Sondhi brought to Los Angeles to defend their 1928 Olympic
title, was like a typhoon out of the east. They trampled under their
feet and all but shoved out of the Olympic stadium the eleven players
representing the United States."
The Los Angeles Times wrote, "The Americans looked liked a junior team
and were disjointed. The Indian forwards made lightening flashes, and
both Dhyan and Roop were an inspiration to the side."
Dhyan Chand and Roop Singh scored 25 out of the 35 goals scored by
India. This gives an indication of the havoc the two brothers caused
among the defenders. They were called the 'hockey twins'. Roop Singh,
with his LA Olympic Pass No. 3770, proved his credentials with this
display. He was as illustrious as Dhyan Chand.
A cartoon published in the Evening News of India showed Dhyan Chand's
stick in the form of a cobra, and Dhyan Chand whistling in front of it
like a snake charmer. The hockey stick expresses its feeling with
American expressions like 'Gee Wiz'.
The Viceroy of India sent a cable congratulating the Indian team. It
read, "I am delighted to learn of the splendid victory of our hockey
team. Please give all members of the side my warm congratulations upon
retaining the world championship."
Los Angeles was the center of the American film industry. The
victorious Indian Olympic team met the famous film comedian Charlie
Chaplin in the Olympic village. The team also visited Metro Goldwyn
Meyer (MGM) studios. They could not meet the famous actress of that
time, Greta Garbo, who had died recently.
Since their out-of-pocket allowances were meagre, the Indian team
decided to play a series of fund-raising matches. The Olympic
champions toured major American cities, and in Europe, played
international matches against Holland, England, Germany,
Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The Indians played in such far-flung
cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Florence, Rome and Naples.
A tumultuous welcome awaited the Olympic champions on their arrival in
India. The team played matches in Colombo, Lahore and Bombay in the
Indian subcontinent.
At the end of this mega tour, India played 37 matches, winning 34,
drawing 2, with one abandoned. In these matches, India showed its
might in world hockey by scoring 338 goals and conceding just 34
goals. Dhyan Chand himself scored an amazing 133 goals, while Roop
Singh scored 94 goals.
With regard to the original aim of raising money, the team still ended
up short by Rs. 3000!
[edit] 1936 Summer Olympics final
In 1936, as in 1932, the Inter-Provincial tournament was the basis for
selection to the Olympic team. The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) had
written to the Army Sports Control Board requesting that Dhyan Chand
be granted leave for participation in the selection trials. Yet again,
the Army authorities refused permission due to Dhyan Chand's frontier
posting.
By missing the trials, no player could be selected for the team.
Consequently, Dhyan Chand's name did not figure in the list of players
for the 1936 Berlin Olympics squad.
A big outcry resulted. There was great dismay when people read in the
newspapers that Dhyan Chand was excluded from the team. People felt
that India was making a big mistake by not including Dhyan Chand.
The IHF again approached the Army, and this time they relented. Just a
few days before the Indian team's departure, Dhyan Chand reached
Delhi. Had Dhyan Chand not made it to the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Indian
hockey might have taken a different course!
The appointment of the Indian team captain was still pending. One
nominee for the captaincy, Syed Mohammad Jafar, withdrew in Dhyan
Chand's favour. The President of the IHF, Kunwar Jagdish Prasad,
appointed Dhyan Chand as the captain.
Thus was fulfilled Dhyan Chand's lifelong ambition of leading India in
the Olympics. Apart from Dhyan Chand, the only other player on his 3rd
consecutive Olympic appearance was goalkeeper Richard James Allen.
For Dhyan Chand's brother Roop Singh, it was his second Olympics. Roop
Singh told his brother that he did not have proper clothes for the
tour. Dhyan Chand scolded Roop Singh for thinking in such terms and
said he would give him his clothes. A few days before departing for
Berlin, Dhyan Chand got married to Janaki Devi.
The Berlin-bound Indian team lost 1-4 in a practice match in Delhi.
Dhyan Chand wondered if India would lose the Olympic title under his
captaincy.
The team set sail on June 27 on the Ranpura. Two players who had never
experienced a sea voyage before became sea-sick. At Aden, Dhyan Chand
met his army colleagues from the Punjab Regiment, and the team
practised on their ground. From Aden, they set sail for Marseilles.
After reaching Marseilles, the rest of their journey was by land. They
went to Paris by train, and after taking in the sights of Paris, the
Indian contingent finally reached Berlin on July 13. Many times there
was no sleeping accommodation, or adequate money for food, but the
team faced all hardships cheerfully.
Germany's dictator Adolf Hitler was using the Olympics as an
instrument for his Nazi propaganda. Throughout Berlin, there were
thousands of swastikas, the symbol of Nazism, and martial music was
played continuously. The sounds of 'Heil Hitler', the way the Nazis
greeted Hitler, resounded everywhere.
Dhyan Chand captained the Indian team in 1936 Summer Olympics final.
His team had gone down to the Germans in a friendly match, shortly
before the Olympics. But this time, India's forward line was
reinforced by the inclusion of Ali Iqtidar Shah Dara, who managed to
reach Berlin just in time for the final. he Berlin Olympics hockey
stadium was the best that Dhyan Chand had seen so far. The opening
ceremony of the Games took place on August 1, with the giant airship
Hindenberg dominating the ceremony.
Hitler had used the opening of these Games to show the world the
supposed might of the Nazi Army. Huge swastikas lined up the massive
stadium filled with 100,000 cheering spectators. A controversy arose
with some teams saluting Hitler and some not acknowledging the
dictator during the march past. Rung during the opening ceremony was a
massive bell weighing 14,000 kgs (tons).
Hitler received an olive branch from Spyridion Louis, the Greek winner
of the marathon in the first modern Olympics in Athens in 1896. An
Olympic torch got lit for the first time with the help of the sun's
rays. Overall, the arrangements were superb, and in use were the
latest technology and communication systems.
In their first match on August 5, India played Hungary and won 4-0.
The Hungarian defense and their goalkeper kept the score down.
Handicapped in their movements because it had started to rain after
the opening whistle, the Indian forwards found the ground soggy.
On August 7, in good weather and ground conditions, India played USA
and beat them 7-0. India then played Japan on August 10, and beat them
9-0. Japan had picked up a lot from India since the last Olympics, and
no goal was scored in the first twenty minutes of play.
The same evening, the much awaited A. I. S. Dara flew into Berlin, and
there was jubilation in the Indian camp. Fielding Dara, India played
France in the semi-finals on August 12, and won by 10 goals. Dara
scored 2 goals, Dhyan Chand scored 4 goals, and Roop Singh hit in 2
goals.
Meanwhile, Germany had whipped Denmark 6-0, beat Afghanistan 4-1 and
in the play-offs, beat Holland 3-0.
Thus India and Germany were to clash in the 1936 Berlin Olympics
hockey final. The hockey world was about to see Dhyan Chand in one of
his most memorable and mesmerising displays on the hockey field.
A crowd of 40,000 that included the Maharaja of Baroda and a large
number of Indians who had travelled from all over the Continent and
England had turned out to see the final battle. The audience included
Adolf Hitler, and top Nazi officials like Hermann Goering, Joseph
Goebells, Joachim Ribbentrop and others.
The vast crowd cheered both the teams as they entered the field. In
contrast to our despondency, the Germans appeared to feel that they
were playing against a very inferior Indian side. According to a
newspaper, the nervousness of the Indian players increased because the
burden of India's honour was on their shoulders.
In a patriotic note, they raised the Indian tricolour in the dressing
room and sang Vande Mataram an Indian nationalist song, rather than
the British national anthem, which they were obliged to sing.
The whistle blew for the start of the game. The crowd roared as
Germany adopted India's game and took to short passing. The sun had
come out and the ground soon dried out, though the turf was still very
soft.
Packed with thrilling incidents, the final had the vast crowd at the
edge of their seats. The Germans undercut and lifted the ball in a
game played at a very fast pace. Twice India's Dara tried to score but
was off-side on both occasions. Germany had been successful at
stopping the Indian forwards and it was becoming very difficult for
the Indians to score.
It was clear that the first goal scored would be important. In the
32nd minute, Roop Singh scored from a difficult angle after getting a
pass from Jafar. This was the only goal India scored till half-time.
During the break, Dhyan Chand huddled his team together and
congratulated them on their play so far. He cautioned them that the
one goal lead was very small, and that Germany could equalise anytime.
The Indian team got into their rhythm in the second half. Dhyan Chand
scored in the opening minutes of the half. India then scored a barrage
of goals - four in five minutes to seal the fate of the match.
Roop Singh had an interesting observation on this stage of the match,
"Dhyan Chand, a supremely unselfish artist who never held on to the
ball for even a second more than necessary, was seen in a rare selfish
mode. He shouted to us - direct all passes to me, I will take care
from there on."
As the ground was still slippery due to the rain, Dhyan Chand
discarded his spiked shoes and stockings and played with his bare feet
and rubber soles. It was the incredible stickwork of Dhyan Chand that
had the crowd gasping. The way he moved with the ball, as if it was
stuck to his hockey stick, puzzled all those who were present.
A newspaper described Dhyan Chand's game as "a flick of the wrist, a
quick glance of his eyes, a sharp turn and then another turn, and
Dhyan Chand was through."
After India had scored four goals, Germany finally opened its account
off a rebound from goalkeeper Richard Allen. This was the first goal
conceded by India in the Olympic tournament. It would be the only goal
they would concede.
After the sixth goal scored by India, the Germans decided to go after
the Indian captain. The German players started to play aggressively
and go for rough tackles on Dhyan Chand. The German goalkeeper even
broke one of Dhyan Chand's teeth in a clash.
After receiving first aid, Dhyan Chand came back to the field and
instructed his team not to score any more goals. "We must teach them a
lesson in ball control," he told his team.
The Indian team would take the ball to the German 'D', then back pass
among themselves, then take it again to the goalmouth but not score.
This strategy baffled the Germans. Dara and Dhyan Chand rounded off
the tally in the last few minutes of the game to make the final score
India 8 - Germany 1.
The goal scorers had been Roop Singh, Tapsell and Jafar with one each,
Dara with two and skipper Dhyan Chand with three. Dara and Dhyan Chand
had combined well, and proved to be the duo that undid the Germans.
After the final, as the Indian players were rejoicing at the victory,
Dhyan Chand appeared a little sad. On being asked the reason, he said
that if this victory had come under the Indian flag, he would have
been all the more pleased. More than a decade later, he relished the
fact that India became independent on the historic day of August 15,
1947.
India was leading 1-0 at the interval. It has been said that the wet
pitch was to blame. Chand removed his shoes, playing barefoot whilst
his teammates and opposition were wearing spiked shoes. In the second
term, India scored seven goals. After trailing 0-6, the Germans are
reported to have resorted to rough play. In a collision with the
German goalkeeper, Dhyan Chand broke one of his teeth, but was soon
back in action. India won the match 8-1, with Dhyan Chand scoring 6
goals. A reporter said about Dhyan Chand's performance - "With a flick
of the wrist, a quick glance of his eyes, a sharp turn and then
another turn, and Dhyan Chand was through." Images of this game can be
found in the Leni Riefenstahl film, "Olympia."
Impressed by his performance, Adolf Hitler supposedly offered to make
Dhyan Chand a Field Marshal in the German army, but the latter refused.
[1] Chand scored 59 of India's 175 goals in the pre-Olympic matches
and 11 of 38 in the Olympics.
After World War II, he continued to play till the age 42. He hit a
total of 61 goals in 22 matches against East Africa. In 1948 he
retired from the sport.
After seeing him play at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Hitler offered
Dhyan Chand, a Major in the British Indian Army, German citizenship
and a higher army post. The prolific striker politely turned it down.
Dhyan Chand was part of three gold medal-winning Indian teams at the
Olympics -- in Amsterdam (1928), Los Angeles (1932) and Berlin, where
he was the captain.
The match was attended by Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler who left midway
as he couldn't bear to see his "racially superior" team being
demolished. Sensing something amiss, he was ordered to change his
stick, but the flow of goals continued. India won the match 8-1, with
Dhyan Chand scoring 6 goals. A reporter said about Dhyan Chand's
performance - "With a flick of the wrist, a quick glance of his eyes,
a sharp turn and then another turn, and Dhyan Chand was through".
Adolf Hitler left his special box in a huff, after Germany's rout.
Next day, he invited him for a meeting the following day. Hitler asked
Dhyan Chand what post did he hold in India. On learning that the
hockey wizard was a mere Naik in the Indian army, Hitler offered to
make Dhyan Chand a Field marshal should he decide to live in Germany.
Dhyan Chand politely refused, saying that he had a large family to
look after, in India. Another version is that Hitler called him up at
the end of the match and asked him the question, "What will you take
to play for Germany?" To this, Dhyan Chand replied "Nothing sir, India
is my India". He had scored a total of 59 out of the team's tally of
175 that Olympics.
[edit] Fan incidents
Dhyan Chand was a very simple man. Once he played in an exhibition
match with a women's team at Prague, after the Olympic Games. A female
fan was highly impressed by his game and expressed her desire to kiss
him. He stepped back, saying that he was a married person!
Once, some time after the Partition of India, Dhyan Chand was seen at
the Lahore railway station, on way to Peshawar as a part of the Indian
team that was scheduled to take part in Joshan celebrations in
Afghanistan. Thousands of his Pakistani fans rushed to the station to
catch a glimpse of the wizard. The surging crowds led to breakdown of
all arrangements. One of the members of the Indian team, Krishan Kumar
Kakar narrated "Such was the scene on all stations right up to
Peshawar where the train reached more than four hours behind the
schedule."
[edit] Don Bradman and Dhyan Chand
During a 1935 tour of New Zealand and Australia, he scored 201 goals
out of the team's tally of 584 in 43 matches. Don Bradman and Dhyan
Chand once came face to face at Adelaide in 1935, when the Indian
hockey team was in Australia. After watching Dhyan Chand in action,
Don Bradman remarked "He scores goals like runs in Cricket".
[edit] Dhyan Chand's last days
He coached for a while, then settled in his beloved Jhansi, still the
fisherman, the hunter of deer, who loved to cook - but short of money.
"Once he went to a tournament in Ahmedabad, and they turned him away
not knowing who he was," says Ashok (son of Dhyan Chand). "And he
never saw any comfort."
When Dhyan Chand fell ill, liver cancer as it turned out, and came to
Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences, they sent him to the
general ward. A journalist's article eventually got him moved to a
special room, but the fact that public memory had to be jogged tells
its own story.
In Jhansi they had a funeral, not in the ghat, but on the ground that
he played on. Players came, but it seemed a little too late. It made
it hard to forget the first few words of his autobiography 'Goal':
"You are doubtless aware that I am a common man."
[edit] Honours & Awards
August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day when the national
sporting awards are handed out by the President of India at
Rashtrapathi Bhavan. Dhyan Chand's imposing statue at the entrance of
the National Stadium (main venue of the inaugural Asian Games in 1951)
is a reminder of the all-time legend of hockey who brought so much
glory to both the game and the nation.
In 1956, at the age of 43, he retired from the army with the rank of
Major. The Government of India honoured him that year by conferring
him the Padma Bhushan (India's third highest civilian honour). However
the Arjuna award for sports excellence was never awarded to him.
Government of Bharat released a postage stamp in his honour on
December 3, 1980, exactly a year after he died in hospital.
Dhyan Chand won a number of awards and accolades during his
illustrious career. One of the most touching gestures came from the
residents of Vienna, who built a statue of the Indian with four hands
and four sticks, signifying his unparallel control over the ball.
One of his statues is near the India Gate, New Delhi while another has
been erected in 2005 at Medak in Andhra Pradesh.
In 2002, the union sports ministry of India introduced a Lifetime
Achievement Award in sports in the name of Dhyan Chand.
[edit] Post retirement
After his retirement, Dhyan Chand earned a diploma in coaching from
the National Institute of Sports in Patiala, in Punjab. However he
found it difficult to coach something that was innate to him.
Residents of Vienna, Austria honoured him by setting up a statue of
him with four hands and four sticks, depicting his control and mastery
over the ball. One of his famous statues is at the National Stadium
near India Gate, New Delhi while another was erected in 2005 at Medak
in Andhra Pradesh.
In 1956, at the age of 51, he retired from the army with the rank of
Major. The Government of India honoured him that year by conferring
him the Padma Bhushan (India's third highest civilian honour).
[edit] Death
Chand however died penniless and uncared for in a hospital, receiving
a meagre pension. Dhyan Chand was very sad to see India finish seventh
at the Montreal Olympics, 1976. The Indian team included his son,
Ashok Kumar. His grand daughter Neha Singh played for India in the
1998 World Cup.[2]
When he was on his deathbed at All India Institute of Medical
Sciences, he reportedly told a doctor that Indian hockey was dying.
[citation needed]He then went into a coma and died in 1979.
A year after his death, the Indian Postal Service issued a
commemorative stamp in his honour. In addition, Dhyan Chand National
Stadium in New Delhi is named in his honor.
[edit] National sports day
29 August, his birthday is celebrated as the National Sports Day in
India. The President gives away sport-related awards such as the Rajiv
Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award on this day at
the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
To commemorate his memory, the Government of India has instituted
Dhyan Chand Award which is presented each year to those sportspersons
who not only contribute through their performance but also contribute
to the sport after their retirement.
[edit] Legends
There are many legends about Dhyan which are impossible to verify.
Once, some time after the Partition of India, Dhyan Chand was seen at
the Lahore railway station, on way to Peshawar as a part of the Indian
team that was scheduled to take part in Joshan celebrations in
Afghanistan. Thousands of his Pakistani fans rushed to the station to
catch a glimpse of the wizard. The surging crowds led to breakdown of
all arrangements. One of the members of the Indian team, Krishan Kumar
Kakar narrated "Such was the scene on all stations right up to
Peshawar where the train reached more than four hours behind the
schedule."
On the field he was named the "Wizard of Hockey" for he exerted
complete control on the ball. It appeared that the ball used to stick
to his hockey stick while playing. So great was the magic of Dhyan
Chand that the Tokyo officials broke his hockey stick to search for a
magnet inside, and tried to console themselves saying he had added
some sort of glue. On one occasion, a lady from the audience asked
Dhyan Chand to play with her walking stick instead. He was supposidely
so fast that TV analysis of his gameplay was rendered too slow! Once
during a tour of Lyon in 1963, a female fan planted a kiss on Dhyan
Chand despite him trying his best to avoid that.[3]
[edit] Dhyan Chand Hobbies
In those days, shikar, or hunting was not yet banned by the
government. Dhyan Chand owned a licensed army gun which he would use
for hunting. He also loved to fish, and like every fishing enthusiast,
he would spend hours fishing.
Cooking was his other favourite hobby. He had labels stuck on
different daals, or pulses, so that he could easily locate them. For
him, cooking was a source of joy, especially when he prepared and
served food to close friends. Dhyan Chand was a non-vegetarian. He
enjoyed making mutton and fish dishes. He liked making halwa dripping
with ghee. He had a habit of drinking milk while standing up. He
believed that in this manner, the milk went straight into the body
system.
His indoor pastime was billiards. He had an orthodox style of playing
billiards, and he would handle the cue in a very odd way. However,
once he started scoring, like in hockey, he never stopped. After
retirement in Jhansi, he used to play billiards till late in the
night.
Dhyan Chand also played cricket well, and was good at batting due to
his strong wrists. He enjoyed hitting sixes and fours. Many times at
the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, he used to play cricket
with small children. Later in life, he used to play carroms with his
sons.
Dhyan Chand loved photography. He did not have the money to buy an
expensive camera, so he carried a very old camera and took pictures
with it whenever he could.
Dhyan Chand admitted that he was not a good social mixer. While at
home or during play, he kept to himself. He thought that it would be
better if he kept quiet and just did his duty or job.
[edit] See also
Ashok Kumar Singh, his son and former Indian hockey player.
Roop Singh - brother of legendary Dhyand chand,Himself a legendary
Player.
[edit] Notes
^ Great Indian Olympians, quoting Rifaquat Ali, who was Dhyan Chand's
assistant coach in the National Institute of Sports, Patiala.
^ Great Indian Olympians
^ Hockey year book 2006, quoting Charanjit Singh, the former Indian
captain
[edit] References
Dhyan Chand at PeopleForever.org
The Indian who captivated even Hitler, Qaiser Mohammad Ali,
Rediff.com
Feature: Hockey's Genius - Dhyan Chand, Rohit Brijnath,
PlanetFieldHockey.com
Gulu Ezekiel and K.Arumugam, Great Indian Olympians
K.Arumugam, Dhyan Chand Centenary, Hockey Yearbook 2006.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhyan_Chand"
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Online petition to include cricket in London Olympics
By Dipankar De SarkarBeijing | August 08, 2008 9:05:06 AM IST
An Asian member of the London assembly has launched an online petition
to persuade sporting authorities to include an international 20-over
cricket competition as part of the 2012 Olympic Games in the British
capital.
Cricket enthusiast Murad Qureshi's petition aims to lobby the
International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Cricket
Conference (ICC) and London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
(LOCOG).
Qureshi, who is in Beijing to lobby IOC members, said Thursday the
petition can found on the website www.twenty20for2012.com.
Traditionally, the host Olympic nation introduces a national sport as
a "demonstration" sport as part of its games, with the long-term view
that this should become an official Olympic Sport in future years.
This has changed with the Beijing Olympics: with the removal of
demonstration sports, host cities are now showcasing local sports as
part of a "cultural Olympiad". Beijing has incorporated wushu, a full-
contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts, into the
cultural Olympiad.
Cricket was last played in the Olympics in 1900 when Great Britain
beat France, the French team consisting of Britons living in Paris,
reportedly mostly members of the British embassy.
With the commercial development of Twenty20 cricket through the
England And Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the possibility of a short form
of the game acceptable to international (non-cricketing) nations being
played at the Olympics becomes a viable proposition, Qureshi said.
"London is the historic home of cricket, a sport which espouses the
Olympic ideal of fair play through the 'spirit of the game' now
enshrined in the official rules by MCC," Qureshi said.
"Hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 provides London an ideal
opportunity to showcase cricket to a much wider global audience and,
in return, to increase interest the Olympic Games amongst nations that
don't engage as fully with traditional athletics.
"By the time of the next Olympic plenary this autumn, I would like to
be able to initially present the numeric support of cricket fans to
the IOC and LOCOG as the first step in re-introducing cricket to the
Olympic Games," he added.dds/sh
(379 Words)*08080851NNNN (IANS)
From the publishers of THE HINDU
VOL.26 :: NO.10 :: Mar. 08 - 14, 2003
Home • Contents
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PERSPECTIVE / ASHISH NEHRA
Interference of politics in sport
POLITICS and sport. This theme takes the centre-stage whenever the
Government issues a fiat to the sports institutions to avoid
participating in or against countries or events fearing a threat to
competitors.
POLITICS and sport. This theme takes the centre-stage whenever the
Government issues a fiat to the sports institutions to avoid
participating in or against countries or events fearing a threat to
competitors. Not surprisingly, the reaction to the decision of the
Government to stay away from the South Asian Games at Islamabad this
month is mixed. Suresh Kalmadi, President, Indian Olympic Association,
calls the decision as needless interference of politics in sport, and
this can affect the image of the country. In fact, he has even said
that non-participation at Islamabad will send wrong signals to the
international community, many of whom are keen to visit India for the
proposed Afro-Asian Games in October.
Whether the Government is prepared to re-examine its stand on the SAF
Games is not easy to decipher, given the deteriorating relations at
all levels between India and Pakistan. The deliberations at the recent
Non-Aligned Conference (NAM) at Kuala Lumpur have only accentuated the
stand-off. But Kalmadi is striving hard to impress on the Prime
Minister to alter the directive in the best traditions of sport and
has also succeeded in roping as many as 60-odd Members of Parliament
in a signature campaign.
Even in the best of times, sport has never been insulated from
political impact, whatever be the means and modes advocated by the
father of modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In more than one
essay, the Baron feared the Games he revived in 1896 would be hijacked
by political bosses, or commercial interests. His fears proved true
when Adolf Hitler used the Games to project the Aryan supremacy in
1936 in Berlin, even though the Baron visualised the shadow of Hitler
looming large on sporting activities even in the early 30s. So, sport
as the instrument in the hands of the powerful has always been
coloured by political influences.
Quite predictably, the decision of the Union Government on the SAF
Games has stemmed on account of the national sentiment, the intensity
of which peaked after the Kargil conflict. The refusal to engage
Pakistan in cricket at any venue emerged as a form of respecting the
national opinion as also the means to eliminate the scourge of match-
fixing and betting whenever these two teams clashed. It is true that
the Government did not overtly take notice of contacts in other
disciplines, like volleyball, squash both here and across the border.
But in events where extraordinary fervour is generated like in cricket
and hockey care has to be taken to ensure the participants are not
demoralised by conscious whipping up of passion by sections palpably
anti-Indian. The outcome is always linked to national honour, and
concept of nationalism being what it is now, there is every chance of
passions getting the better of reason and sporting dignity. Instances
of cricketers and hockey players heckled in a display of mass hysteria
have been many, and none is willing to forget the attack by a fan on
the Indian skipper, Krish Srikkanth in Karachi in 1989. On more than
one occasion, the incidents during the hockey match between India and
Holland in the 1990 World Cup are recalled to reinforce the depressing
scenario of high tension security.
Seasoned sports administrators should evaluate the Government's
decision against the backdrop of these ugly events than mouthing
homilies of politics. Ironically, a majority of the federations have a
politican, or a group of them at the helm including the Indian Olympic
Association. Are these men and women willing to quit the scene so that
sport is really and truly de-linked from politics?
Admittedly, sporting contacts with Pakistan ever since partition
continue to exist in some form or the other. While bilateral cricket
series began within five years after independence, it took nearly
three decades to work out a Test series between the countries in
hockey. It is unfortunate that both today remain deadlocked as far as
playing here or across the border goes. The 9/11 incident has
transformed the complete security scenario in the sub-continent,
notably in Pakistan, where several international events were postponed
or shifted out on account of fears expressed by the participating
countries. That the SAF Games originally slated to be held at Peshawar
were brought to Islamabad underscores the apprehension of the host to
conduct the events in the troubled North West Frontier. The event had
to be postponed by a year after the terrorist strike on U.S.
India was very much part of the 1989 venture when Pakistan held the
SAF Games in the same city. But today, the conditions are vastly
different and dangerous from India's standpoint. The IOA would do well
to see the whole exercise in the right perspective and go along with
the Government than to come out with empty rhetoric that does not jell
with reality.