DELHI, INDIA — In a historic convergence of sporting royalty, the governments of India and New Zealand are set to commemorate a centenary of bilateral athletic ties. The celebration, centered around a gala event at the New Zealand High Commission in Delhi on Monday, March 9, marks exactly 100 years since the 1926 Indian Army Hockey Team’s tour of New Zealand—a tour that laid the foundation for a century of friendship.

A Legacy Reunited: The Son of Dhyan Chand and the Olympian Diplomat

The event will be headlined by two men whose family trees are woven into the very fabric of this history: Ashok Kumar, the Indian hockey legend and son of the “Wizard” Major Dhyan Chand, and Peter Miskimmin, New Zealand’s Head of Sport Diplomacy and a two-time Olympian.

The connection is deeply personal. A rare 1926 photograph, preserved by Miskimmin’s family, shows his grandfather—who refereed the first official Test match between the two nations—seated directly in front of Major Dhyan Chand.

“Sport has a unique way of shrinking the world,” said Peter Miskimmin. “To stand with Ashok Kumar a century after our ancestors faced each other on the pitch in 1926 is a profound honor. We aren’t just celebrating matches won or lost; we are celebrating a bridge built of willow and turf that has endured for 100 years.”

The 1926 Spark

While cricket often dominates the modern conversation, hockey was the original “sporting bridge.” The 1926 Indian Army tour was a seminal moment for New Zealand sport, introducing the Kiwis to the ethereal skills of Dhyan Chand. This was followed by the “all-conquering” 1936 All-India tour, which stopped in New Zealand en route to the Berlin Olympics.

Key Historical Milestones:

• 1926: The first Indian Army Hockey Team tours New Zealand.
• 1936: Major Dhyan Chand returns to NZ with the All-India team.
• 1975: Ashok Kumar scores the winning goal for India in the World Cup Final.
• 1976: New Zealand’s “Golden Generation” (including the Maister brothers) wins Olympic Gold in Montreal.

A “Summer of India” in New Zealand

The March 9 event in Delhi, attended by New Zealand’s Minister for Sport and high-ranking Indian officials, serves as the curtain-raiser for a massive sporting exchange later this year.

Under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, November 2026 will see an unprecedented “India Month” in New Zealand, featuring:

• Cricket: The Indian Men’s National Team tour.
• Hockey: Simultaneous tours by both the Indian Men’s and Women’s National Teams.
• Football: A historic visit by the Indian Men’s Football Team.
• Defence Ties: A proposed tour by the Indian Defence Forces hockey teams, honoring the spirit of the original 1926 Army squad.

The Delhi Celebration: March 9

The upcoming gala will feature a formal “Reflections” segment where Ashok Kumar and Peter Miskimmin will share family anecdotes and discuss the evolution of the game. They will be joined by legendary cricketers from both nations, symbolizing the expansion of the India-NZ relationship from the hockey turf to the cricket pitch.

“We are honoring the past to inspire the next century,” Miskimmin added. “From the grass fields of 1926 to the world-class stadiums of today, the bond between the Black Sticks and the Men in Blue remains one of the most respected rivalries in sport.”