Dhyan Chand never expected anything: Ashok Kumar
Asheem Mukerji, TNN | Aug 30, 2011, 05.49AM IST
“Babuji was against me playing hockey, and scolded me often for that.” These are the words of a famous son of a legendary father. Major Dhyan Chand didn’t want Ashok Kumar to take to the game, disappointed by what he got in return for his stupendous service to the nation.
After wearing three Olympic gold medals (1928 Amsterdam, 1932 Los Angeles and 1936 Berlin), the ‘Golden Man’ of hockey died unheralded at the All India Medical Sciences (AIIMS ), New Delhi, in December 1979. Hearing about his death, Ashok went in his motorcycle to Panchkuian Road to get a hearse.
“By the time I returned, things had changed. Government officials were all over the place, and a state mourning was announced. Even a helicopter was provided to fly the mortal remains back to Jhansi, our native place. But Babuji couldn’t see all this. It was a perfect case of glorifying the dead,” he says with sadness. “Only if recognition had come during his lifetime, he would have died a happier man.”
In his declining years, one of the big satisfactions for the hockey wizard – whose birth anniversary is celebrated as the National Sports Day on August 29 every year – was seeing India win the World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 1975, with his son scoring the decisive goal against Pakistan in the final. “After returning, I went to meet him, and could see satisfaction on his face. His body language said it all,” remembers Ashok. “That’s the first time he felt I had done the right thing by taking after him.”
The biggest shock came the very next year when India finished sixth t the Montreal Olympics, thereby ailing to finish on the podium for the first time. “Kabhi nahin soocha tha mere jite ji aisa din dekhna padega (Never thought I would have to see this day in my lifetime),” Dhyan Chand would lament.
Hailing from a sporting family, Dhyan Chand, whose side never finished second in the Olympics, couldn’t comprehend India finishing with the silver and bronze medals. “Is this what you play for,” he would ask.
Dhyan Chand’s younger brother Captain Roop Singh and son Ashok also played in the Olympics, while his grand-daughter Neha Singh and another son, Virendra Singh, represented the country in international matches. Virendra played for junior India sides.
He always believed in finishing the work on hand. Once ‘Dadda’, as he was popularly known amongst his friends, was playing a game of carrom with Ashok Kumar when a friend of the latter’s came to meet him. Typically, he was told to wait till his son finished the game. “He never allowed us to leave anything unfinished.”
He also cared for fellow players. Once in the ’70s, former India goalkeeper Charles Cornelius got injured and required surgery at the Army Hospital in Delhi. ‘Dadda’, along with another great name, Kishen Chand, wanted to meet and cheer him up. “And since we had very little means, I took both of them from Vasant Vihar to the hospital in the Cantt area on my motorcycle, ribbing the cops all through the route,” remembers Ashok.
Stories of Dhyan Chand being offered a General’s rank by Adolf Hitler, and his refusal to accept the offer, are folklore now. He was a very proud Indian, and unlike modern day sports persons he never demanded anything from the government. “My job was to play hockey, and that I did to the best of my ability, and now it’s for others to see,” he used to say.
Simplicity was the hallmark of his career. He was a familiar face in Jhansi, riding around the city on his bicycle after retirement. Once during an interview he was asked about the secret of his magical play. And he replied: “The secret is both my hands, and also my mind and fitness routine.”
A lesser known fact about Dhyan Chand was his penchant for cooking and his love for rabri (a milk sweet). “Babuji loved to cook and felt proud when we appreciated his culinary skills. He was amazing,” Ashok Kumar said.