Biography of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand
By Niket Bhushan, Wiley Eastern Ltd., 1992
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Berlin Olympics Captain | There was great dismay when people read in the
newspapers that Dhyan Chand was not in the team. People felt India
was making a big mistake by not including such a great player.
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! |
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n 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 such a great player.
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.
Berlin Olympics hockey captain Dhyan Chand