| Dihan Chand got the name Chand from his coach. His | | | | series made him the world number one with ease. In |
| first coach was so impressed by the talent of this | | | | the year 1935 Sir Don Bradman got a chance to |
| young player that he knew he would one day shine | | | | watch Dihan Chand. He was amazed at the way this |
| like the moon and so he gave him the name Chand. | | | | hockey player scored goals like runs. It was about this |
| Major Dihan Chand was born on the 29th of August in | | | | time that hockey lovers started calling Dihan Chand the |
| the year 1905. He was born in Uttar Pradesh in India in | | | | Bradman of hockey. |
| an army subedars house. At the age of 16 he too | | | | The 1936 summer Olympics is where his sheer love |
| followed his father's foot steps and joined the army. | | | | for the game was made visible to the world. He was |
| This was the time when Subedar major Bhole Tiwari | | | | not given permission by the army but he requested |
| who was his senior noticed his easy and excellent | | | | again and then reached Berlin. |
| dribbling skills and gave him a chance. They very soon | | | | There during the match the ground was so wet that it |
| found out that he could score goals with a lot of ease | | | | was hard to play. Dihan Chand played that match |
| and was lightening fast too. | | | | barefooted with all his rivals in spiked shoes; nothing |
| He was taken to play against English team. There in | | | | deterred him. The game got very rough and ugly and |
| the ten matches played India scored 72 goals. Exactly | | | | still India won the match 8-1. Dihan Chand's contribution |
| half the goals were scored by Dihan Chand. These 36 | | | | was six among the 8 goals scored. |
| goals got him his seat in the national team. The year | | | | Form the year 1928 this player continued to play with |
| was 1928 when Dihan Chand made his debut in | | | | same zest and zeal till the year 1948. He retired from |
| international hockey. In his very first year he was | | | | professional hockey and took up coaching hockey. |
| instrumental in carving out a Gold medal win in the | | | | Somehow his ardent love for the game wouldn't let |
| Amsterdam Olympics. The final was played against | | | | him become a very good coach. He retired from the |
| India and Netherlands. India won the match by scoring | | | | Army as a major in the year 1951. The government of |
| 3 goals to their none. Out of the three Dihan Chand | | | | India honored him with the Padma Bhushan. |
| had scored two goals. | | | | This honored players statues have been erected in |
| Dihan Chand was a centre forward player. In the year | | | | many places in India and in Vienna, Austria. However, |
| 1932 he helped India defend their title against the United | | | | this legendary player was forgotten soon and he died |
| States hockey team. Dihan Chand scored eight goals | | | | in a hospital with a pension which was too little to save |
| and India cruised to a victory of 23-1. In that calendar | | | | his life. People in India still talk about Dihan Chand and |
| year India scored a total of 338 goals of which Dihan | | | | his spirit but after his time, there has been no other |
| Chand's contribution was 133 goals. | | | | player who has been able to match up to his stature. |
| The number of goals he scored in each and every | | | | |