What Happened When Hockey Legend Dhyan Chand Met Adolf Hitler? Here’s the Tale
Though there are many interesting stories about the man and his exploits on the field, it is his epic tryst with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler that will be remembered for generations to come.
Major Dhyan Chand Singh is irrefutably one of the most legendary sportsmen that India has ever had.
Such was his precision in scoring goals during tense situations, that even today he is considered to be one of the greatest field hockey players of all time.
As a tribute to the legend, his birthday is commemorated as ‘National Sports Day’ in India every year.
Hailing from Allahabad, the 16-year Chand had joined the Indian Army and from here started an illustrious journey that took India straight to the Olympics arena.
Though there are many interesting stories about the man and his exploits on the field, it is his epic tryst with Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler that will be remembered for generations to come.
The final match of the hockey tournament during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which saw Germany being ravaged by the Chand-led Indian team.
The victory by the huge margin of seven goals paved way for the interaction between the unlikely duo.
Following the match, that resulted in the poor man losing one of his teeth and a fuming Führer storming out of the stadium, it is said that Dhyan Chand was offered a high position in the German Army along with a German Citizenship by Hitler, who was said to be blown away by Chand’s splendid performance.
However, Dhyan Chand was a patriotic man and as tempting it might have seemed, he refused Deh Führer’s offer on his face and chose to remain in his homeland.
Talk of being cool at a time when a word uttered wrong could have resulted in catastrophic repercussions.
After all, Hitler was known to have those who disagreed with him summarily executed.
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