A title too late for hockey wizard Dhyan Chand?

What was long overdue has finally happened! Thirty-eight years after his death in 1979, the government has decided to confer the Bharat Ratna on hockey wizard Dhyan Chand. One of the greatest players of all time, the man who spearheaded India’s conquests in three consecutive Olympics — in 1928, 1932 and 1936 — is perhaps the brightest star in the country’s sporting firmament. His halo remains undiminished even in the face of cricket’s onslaught.

Yet, it’s a mystery that successive governments didn’t find him suitable for the highest civilian award. Or was it criminal callousness and apathy because hockey isn’t glamorous enough to merit attention? The deliberate omission of Dhyan Chand’s name and the deplorable slide of Indian hockey are inter-linked — the result of a lack of focus and state patronage in the sport.

What Dhyan Chand and his team achieved in the dazzling era of Indian hockey is best reflected in the Olympics score cards. In the 1932 Summer Olympics, India beat USA 24-1 and Japan 11-1. In the 1936 Berlin Olympics final, India bested Germany 8-1 in the finals. Legend has it that Adolph Hitler was so impressed by his genius that he offered Dhyan Chand the post of a colonel in his army. As expected, the Indian politely refused. There are many such anecdotes embellishing the reputation of an icon who scored more than 400 goals in his international career. If only India could regain its numero uno position in the sport!