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Olympics 2008 would be remembered for many reasons. In the history of the game of hockey, this was for the first time that India failed to qualify for the Olympics. It is peak time to remember the golden era of the Indian Hockey when India got a medal in the Olympics from 1928-1980 except once in 1976 which includes 8 golds.

It all started for a friendship between two British colonels who were part of Gallipoli Tragedy during the First World War. As a friendship gesture, an Indian Army hockey team toured for the first time to New Zealand in 1926. The hosts were shocked by the classic game showcased by the visitors and thereby established that Indians are indeed a world apart.

It was Dhyan Chand who mesmerized the world with his extraordinary skills. He led the Indians thought of taking part in the Olympics. In that era, a mixed team of 16 players, this 18 year old, legend of hockey, the “other rank” soldier from the Brahmin regiment stood out not because of the goals he has scored. It was the elegance and grace which he showed while scoring the maximum goals. Every goal scored was a lesson in the game of hockey from an institution, Dhyan Chand.

In the next three Olympics between 1928 and 1936, India stood like a behemoth, Dhyan Chand lived up to the expectation and the faith rested by the IHF. He was never called for selections trials.  England, the defending champion in 1928 Olympics, backed out when they saw Dhyan Chand at the Folkstone Festival Hockey enroute Amsterdam. It was the rarest occurrence in the history that a colonial country as mighty as the British Empire kept out from a particular sport for three Olympics. It is same British, 80 years later ironically, defeated India in a qualifier thus ensured India’s first exit from Olympic Hockey in 80 years.

In his autobiography, “GOAL” Dhyan Chand has mentioned that he only scored 3 goals in the finals though he was credited with 6 out 8 goals scored in the finals of 1936 Berlin Olympics in the Olympics records. Dhyan Chand’s legacy is not just confined to the pre- independence era. After partition, during 1947 a strong claim was made to declare India’s three Olympic golds neutral like British India or undivided India. The 1936 game team had 18 members, which had 8 Anglo Indians, 4 Muslims and 2 Hindus from Pakistan. But even the free India team won that psychological was as all of those 14 souls dwarfed against the towering dinosaur, Dhyan Chand.