Top 150 Olympic Athletes: #139 - Dhyan Chand

Dhyan Chand

India

Field Hockey

Overall Ranks

#1 among Indian Olympians

#1 among Field Hockey players

Olympic Results

1928

Men - Gold

1932

Men - Gold

1936

Men - Gold

Total

Events - 3

Gold - 3

Dhyan Chand was born Dhyan Singh Bais in Allahabad, Indian on August 29, 1905. His father played field hockey in the British Indian army, and when Dhyan turned 17, he joined the Army as well and played field hockey for them.

Field hockey was popular in India, but they had never fielded an Olympic team before 1928, when they decided to put together the best players from 5 different teams around the country to travel to Amsterdam, and Chand was given permission by the Army to join one of those teams in order to try out. He scored a goal within 3 minutes of the first game of the national tournament, and it quickly became apparent that he would make the team.

He made his Olympic debut against Austria, scoring 4 goals in a 6-0 victory, then repeated the feat in other group games against Denmark and Switzerland, and India advanced to the championship game undefeated and unscored upon. They defeated the home Dutch team 3-0 in the gold medal game, with Chand scoring 2 more times, giving him a total of 15 goals in 5 games.

India returned to defend its title in the 1932 Olympics, but due to the Great Depression, only 3 countries were able to send teams. India beat Japan 11-1, then the host USA 24-1, to win another easy gold medal. Chand scored 12 goals between the 2 games, and his younger brother Roop scored 13.

The Indian team was just as dominant in 1936, not allowing a goal in group play, which put them in the semifinals. There they beat the French team 10-0, with Chand scoring 4 of those goals, then beat the host Germans 8-1, with another 3 goals from Chand. He scored 15 goals in the 5 games that year, giving him a total of 40 goals across 12 Olympic matches.

World War II cancelled the next 2 Olympic Games, and when they returned in 1948, Chand was offered a spot on the Indian team once again, which he declined. He appeared in the Olympics 3 times, and all 3 times led all players in goals, winning gold medals each time, and has scored more Olympic goals than any other player in history, making him the greatest Olympic field hockey player of all time, and one of the greatest Olympians.