Cricket might be the most popular game in India right now, but it was not the case always. It was the sport of field hockey, which ruled the hearts of Indians for a longer period of time. And the reason was India's rule over the sport. India dominated the game of hockey, stamping their authority for a significant amount of time. The Indian dominance started pre independence, and continued for almost 3 more decades post India was a sovereign state. And if one man has to be immensely applauded for India's success in their national sport, it is Major Dhyan Chand.

Perhaps the most prominent sportsperson in the country, the magician of world hockey ruled the game like no other individual on the planet ever did. Scoring goals seemed like a really easy task for him. What others couldn't do, he did easily. His ball control was immaculate. Often their were instances of officers coming to check his stick if it has a magnet in it which allows him to handle the ball so well. And every time, the officers were left in agony of not finding any, but eventually to find that the skills of the wizard were of the highest order which allowed Dhyan Chand to play the way he does.

The wizard, who initially was not so much into the game, ended up being the greatest of all time. He represented British India team and was instrumental in all of the team's triumphs. He was the pillar of the gold winning Indian team in 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics. He had a staggering 33 goals on the 12 occasions he played in Olympic matches. Two of the most memorable of these victories were the one in 1932 when India defeated USA 24-1, a record which stood for 71 years. And the second one was the 1936 Olympic final when India defeated hosts Germany. Adolf Hitler was left awestruck to see Dhyan Chand's game, and had reportedly offered him a place in German team with a significantly upper position in German Army, which the patriot Major Dhyanchand refused.

The incident speaks volumes of his love for his country. And his achievements speak volumes of what he did to change the sporting atmosphere in the country. He immensely contributed to the team's success and made India the undeniable champions of the national game. In addition to this , the most important thing which he did was to inculcate the self confidence in the country of billion people to dream big and achieve the sporting dreams for the country with immense pride and dedication. Which is why he is the first sporting hero of the country. And to his legacy, the Indian government dedicated to be called as National Sports Day. It's a well deserved honour for the country to have the sports day on the day this legend was born. We wish the legend a very happy birth anniversary and thank him for his immense contribution to Indian sports.