Dhyan Chand remembered

Rich tributes were paid to Major Dhyan Chand on his 108th birth anniversary on Thursday. Celebrated as the National Sports Day in honour of ‘the Wizard of Hockey’ and one of the greatest players in the sport’s history, Dhyan Chand, was feared for his impeccable ball control and incredible goal scoring prowess.

The triple Olympic gold winner, whose exploits caught the attention of Adolf Hitler, was a sublime performer, who left everyone, including his opponents dazed, with masterly craftsmanship using the stick as a wand. Recreating magic came naturally to the gifted Dhyan Chand.

Sports Secretary, Lav Agarwal, participating in the celebrations, organized by Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) at the Hockey Stadium in Gachibowli, said that Dhyan Chand epitomized native intelligence and creativity while overwhelmingly enhancing the country’ prestige on the world map. Rahul Bojja, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of SAAP said that they were organizing National Sports Day every year, involving all DSAs, with religious fervour across the State.

After garlanding the statue of Dhyan Chand they distributed medals to various winners in the athletics, badminton and swimming competitions. An exhibition hockey match between SAAP Gachibowli XI and SBI XI was held on the occasion. Padmasri N Mukesh Kumar and Prof K Ranga Rao, Senior Vice-President, A P Olympic Association, along with coaches, staff, players and officials participated in the function.