CHENNAI: “He scores goals like runs in cricket,” was how the great Donald Bradman had reacted after being treated to a masterclass by Dhyan Chand in 1935. In that particular tour to Australia and New Zealand, he scored 201 goals in 43 matches. Another story goes that Adolf Hitler, marveled by the wiry wizard from Jhansi, asked him, and not jested, how much money he wanted to join the German side, to which Dhyan Chand retorted, “Nothing sir, India is my India.”
In Austria, they erected a statue of him with four hands and as many sticks to denote his incredible trickery with the stick. Back home, he collated every sporting honour as well as the Padma Bhushan, his birthday was made the National Sports Day, an award was constituted in his name, the premier hockey stadium of the country was christened after him.
All that eluded him was the Bharat Ratna, the country’s highest civilian medal, but the hockey circle hardly complained, for sportsmen weren’t generally considered for it. That is until last year, when Sachin Tendulkar became the first sportsperson to be bestowed the prestigious plaque.
Soon, it became a raging national debate, with former and present athletes, diplomats and politicians, actors and bloggers, all offering their share of opinions. Decades after his death, he sprung back to public consciousness. But their clamour didn’t go fruitless as Dhyan Chand seems destined for the honour this time. Understandably, the hockey fraternity is elated.
“He is not just an all-time great in his country, but is considered one of the all-time best across the world. He was a perfect player, and no other sportsperson deserves it as much as him. It’s not like Sachin didn’t deserve it, but he also deserved it as much,” opined former player and Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar.
The legacy that he left lives through his chroniclers, as there is hardly any video footage of his heyday wizardry. This, World-Cup winning skipper Ajitpal Singh Singh reckons, was a stumbling block for espousing his case. “He couldn’t reach out to the youngsters of this time because there is hardly any video evidence of him. But for us, he was like God, and I cherish each and every meeting with him. He was such a sweet person. And finally he has got the reward he fully deserved. It’s a recognition to not just a great sportsman, but also the game,” he said.
But his aura still remains. “We haven’t watched much of him, but every youngster wanted to be like him. For even in Chennai, our parents and coaches wanted us to be like Dhyan Chand. This recognition will be a great boost to the game,” reckoned former India captain Mohammed Riaz.
Dhyan Chand continues to be the ultimate metronome. “We are really proud to be his successors. As you enter the National Stadium (in Delhi), there is a big statue of him.
Every time you see that, you get inspired. He will continue to inspire us and the coming generations,” said skipper Sardar Singh. Most pertinently, the needless he-deserves-it-more-than-him scraps shall come to a pass.