As the scroll of honour changed hands from the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee to the diminutive magician, in his curly flocks , dressed in an immaculate suit, time signalled Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar was awarded India’s highest Civilian Award, the Bharat Ratna. The ‘Jewel of India’ or ‘the Bharat Ratna’ is the Republic of India’s highest civilian award and wasn’t open to sports persons till 2011, meaning neither of Major Dhyan Chand or Milkha Singh, in their glory days could have received the award.
The move does leave some questions as to why it took the so long for the couuntry’s decision makers to bring about this change and introduce sports as a category. There has been no shortage of Indian sportspersons with immaculate and unbelievable achievements in all these years. Whether or not Sachin deserved it is open to interpretations and debate alike, but we here at Sportzwiki decided to give our readers a piece on why perhaps Hockey Legend Major Dhyan Chand deserved the Bharat Ratna ahead of the little master.
1) Well everyone knows India were the perennial giants in Hockey at the Olympics. India won three gold medals, those before Independence too, and played mammoth 48 matches and won them all.
2) INDIA was Unbeatable in Hockey for almost twenty years. Everytime the Indians squared off against the Americans, the latter were handed out a lesson. As a result, the United Stes banned hockey to evade the ignominy of disdain. Speaks a lot doesn’t it? What a mammoth achievement.
3) Major Dhyan Chand was among those who can envy of having Germany’s General Adolf Hitler as his Fan. Hitler had requested Dhyan Chand to accept Germany Citizenship and play for his country for any fiscal ramification. Dhyan Chand would also have been given the role as the head of the Army. Dhyan Chand refused and it should be known in those days, there wasn’t much money to sustain livelihood forget endorsing brands!
4) So how did the Major make Hitler his fan.? When the former went to Germany for Hockey World Cup, he was injured by the German Goalkeeper. He had the audacity to challenge the supremacy of the Germans in their own soil that too in front of Hitler. He dribbled past the same goalkeeper, playing with injury, however didn’t score in the empty net. This was perhaps the biggest shame for the Germans and Hitler was impressed by his answer
5) Was he a Genius? A Mathematician? Well he struck the post on numerous occasions in a match and complained to the referee regarding the length of the goal. The referee stopped play and to his amazement found out that indeed the goalpost was two inches short. Genius!
6) Perhaps the only Indian who unfurled the Indian National flag in Germany. At that time, Indian Flags were not allowed to be carried outside the countries by the British Raj. Dhyan Chand however, his it under his clothes and had the guts to hoist it in foreign turf.
7) During the latter stages of his life, he hardly could meet both ends. He was offered the coaching role both in America and Germany but turned down both offers. After the Government couldn’t do anything for him, it was the INDIAN ARMY who helped him.
8) Once upon a time he went to see a Hockey match at Ahmadabad but was not allowed in the Stadium. Reason “We don’t recognize You” Unfortunately that game was attended by Jawaharlal Nehru!
9) Finally Cricket Icon and Legend Sir Don Bradman said “I’m a fan of Dhyanchand as he scores Goals more easily than I Score runs.
Please Note: We here don’t want to make a ruckus of Sachin getting the Bharat Ratna. However we feel someone who has received over 400 awards from 50 countries all around the globe certainly deserves the award, that too if the judgement category for sportspersons was opened in 2011, Major Dhyan Chand should have been awarded posthumously.
