Dhyan Chand joined the Indian Army at age 16 and began playing hockey while enlisted. He earned the nickname "Chand" meaning moon in Hindi from teammates due to practicing at night. Chand became the leading goal scorer at the 1928 Olympics with 14 goals and was described as a "magician". Despite many memorable performances, Chand cited the 1933 Beighton Cup final as his best. He and his brother combined for 35 goals in India's victories over the USA and Japan in the 1932 Olympics. Chand had a career spanning 22 years from 1926-1948, scoring over 400 goals, and was so skilled that opponents suspected he hid a magnet in his hockey stick.

3. •Dhyan Chand joined the
Indian Army at just the
age of 16 and started
playing Hockey while he
was still enrolled. Since
he used to practice a lot
during the night, Dhyan
was given the nickname
“Chand” by his fellow
teammates. ‘Chand’
means the Moon in
Hindi.

4. • Dhyan Chand became
the leading goal-scorer at
the 1928 Amsterdam
Olympics as he scored 14
goals. A reporter, after
India’s victory, said “This
is not just a game of
hockey, but magic. Dhyan
Chand is, in fact, the
magician of hockey.”

5. •Despite Dhyan Chand being
involved in many
memorable and high-on-
action matches, he always
said that if anybody would
ask him about his best
performance, he will
unhesitatingly say that it
was the final of 1933
Beighton Cup between
Calcutta Customs and
Jhansi Heroes.

6. •During the 1932 Summer
Olympics, India defeated
the USA by 24-1 and
Japan by 11-1. While
Dhyan Chand scored 12
goals, his brother Roop
Singh scored 13 times
out of the 35 goals that
India scored, which led to
them being marked as
the ‘hockey twins’.

7. • Once, Dhyan Chand was
unable to score a single
goal in a match and he
argued with the match
referee that the
measurement of the goal
post were not right.

8. • Once, Dhyan Chand was
unable to score a single
goal in a match and he
argued with the match
referee that the
measurement of the goal
post were not right.

9. •During the 1936 Berlin
Olympics German
newspaper carried a
banner which headlined:
‘The Olympic complex now
has a magic show too.’
while Posters stating: “Visit
the hockey stadium to
watch the Indian magician
Dhyan Chand in action.”
covered the whole city.

10. •German dictator Adolf
Hitler once offered Dhyan
Chand the citizenship of
Germany as well as a
position in the German
Military.The offer, as
expected, was declined
by the Indian magician.

11. •In 1935, Australian Cricket
Great Don Bradman met
Dhyan Chand for the first
time at Adelaide and after
the Indian magician play,
Bradman said, “He scores
goals like runs in cricket”.

12. •In 1935, Australian Cricket
Great Don Bradman met
Dhyan Chand for the first
time at Adelaide and after
the Indian magician play,
Bradman said, “He scores
goals like runs in cricket”.

13. •In his career, which
spanned over 22 years
(1926-48), Dhyan
Chand scored more
than 400 goals.

14. •His capabilities on the
field were so remarkable
that Netherlands’
Hockey authorities once
broke Dhyan Chand’s
hockey stick to check
whether there was a
magnet inside.

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