Hockey India demands Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand

New Delhi, December 21, 2011:  Hockey India requested the Union government to confer the Bharat Ratna award to Late Major Dhyan Chand for his unparalleled contribution to hockey.

In the letter addressed to Sports Minister Ajay Maken, Hockey India welcomed the modification of rules for paving the way for eligibility of sportspersons for Bharat Ratna, the highest Civilian Award of our country.

Dhyan Chand is acknowledged as the all time and the greatest player of the game of hockey all over the world. He has probably been the only Indian player for any sport that has generated the number of myths about his ability as a hockey player.

In view of his rarest of rare achievements, there is no deserving sporting icon other than Major Dhyan Chand to be considered for Bharat Ratna.

He won three successive gold medals at Olympic Games at Amsterdam in 1928, Los Angles in 1932 and Berlin in 1936 and was the first Indian Sportsman to be conferred with the Padma Bhushan Award in 1956.

His birthday, the 29th August is celebrated as the National Sports Day, where the President of India gives away the sports related Awards such as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Awards, Dronacharya Awards and Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Awards to eminent present and past sportspersons.

As a tribute to Dhyan Chand, the National Stadium was re-named after his name in 2002.

Even today, Dhyan Chand remains legendary in Indian and world hockey. He is credited with scoring over 1000 international goals.

His international playing career started in 1926 and he went on to play till 1948 at the age of 42 years.

In 1926, on his first International Tour, India played 21 matches in New Zealand scoring 192 goals, with Dhyan Chand alone accounting for over 100 goals.

Under Dhyan Chand’s captaincy at the Berlin Olympics in 1936, his magical stick-work drew the crowds from other venues to the hockey field. Posters sprung up all over the city saying “Visit the hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Major Dhyan Chand in action”.

He was even offered the German citizenship and the rank of Colonel in the German Army, while in Berlin, but he declined. The Authorities also broke his stick to check if there was a magnet inside.

Hockey India is hopeful that Government will consider awarding the next Bharat Ratna to the hockey wizard Dhyan Chand.

Press release