Top 5 Facts about Dhyan Chand
1. Widely considered the greatest hockey player in the sport, Dhyan Chand is the highest goal scorer in hockey with more than 400 goals.
2. He helped India win three Olympic goal medals (1928, 1932 and 1936) establishing and inspiring India as a dominant force in hockey from 1928 to 1964.
3. Hitler offered him a high ranking post in the German Army after watching India defeat Germany 8-1 in the 1936 Olympics Final in Berlin. Dhyan Chand of course refused to take up the offer.
4. After joining the Indian Army at the age of 16, he only had time to practice at night. He used to wait for the moon to come out to start practicing as there were no floodlights in that era. His fellow players used to refer to him as “Chand.” That is how Dhyan Singh became Dhyan Chand.
5. Dhyan Chand retired from the Army with the rank of Major. However, he was largely ignored by the nation and died in penury.
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