Remembering Legend On His 41st Death Anniversary And 7 Interesting Facts About His Life

3rd December, a date when the world has witnessed many tragedies that are hard to forget. One of those tragic incidents was the demise of Major Dhyan Chand, " The Wizard of Hockey." None has been so popular and magical as him in the history of hockey.

His extraordinary game skills have won the heart of the entire world including one of the world's brutal dictators, Adolf Hilter who once gave him a golden opportunity to become the Colonel after losing in the Berlin Olympics 1936. Dhyan Chand refused his offer which further brought humiliation to Hilter.

This is just one part of his incredible journey as the greatest hockey player of all time. Have a look at more such interesting facts below.

7 Interesting Facts About The Hockey Wizard

1. National Sports Day

2. Dhyan Singh To Dhyan Chand

His fellow players gave him the nickname "Chand" because he used to practice the game only during the nights during his days in the Indian Army which he joined when he was just 16. He is also remembered as the "The Wizard" and " The Magician." 

3. When He Missed A Goal

4. He Didn't Like Sports

At the early stage of his life before joining the Indian Army, Dhyan Chand had no interest in sports except wrestling. But, the destination leads him to the field of hockey where Subedar Major Bale Tiwari noticed his magical gameplay skills.

5. When His Hockey Stick Was Broken

<figcaption class="pl-caption>via: nationalchronicle

Right from his first goal in the 1936 Olympics to the last-minute goals to win the Punjab Indian Infantry tournament, every goal is worth watching. In his 22 spans of hockey journey from 1926 to 1948, he scored 400 goals, and watching him scoring was not less like the magic that time.

Major Dhyan Chand gave 3 gold medals to India in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, and the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1956, the same year when he retired from hockey.

Major Dhyan Chand died in 1979 on 3rd December after developing liver cancer.