INDIA LEAVE HITLER DISGUSTED

INDIA LEAVE HITLER DISGUSTED

India, led by Dhyan Chand, were not received pleasantly in Berlin for the 1936 Olympics. India, who did not concede a single goal till the final, were slated to meet hosts Germany in the final. About 40,000 people — by far the biggest turnout at any Olympic hockey match — had gathered. In attendance was Adolf Hitler. India continued to score at will and took a 6-0 lead. A disgusted Hitler left midway. The Germans then decided to play rough and went after Dhyan Chand. A cynical tackle by the German goalkeeper cost the India captain a tooth. But Dhyan Chand returned to the field after receiving attention and instructed his team to go easy. As the stunned crowd watched, India repeatedly took the ball up to the German circle and then ‘back-passed’ to mystify their opponents. But the damage was already done. India beat Germany 8-1 to complete a hat-trick of gold medals. It was at this Olympics that Dhyan Chand was bestowed with the ‘legend’ status. A sports club in Vienna built a statue of Dhyan Chand with four hands and four sticks! There was an interesting incident involving Dhyan Chand and Hitler, but that’s for later. Watch this space.