Berlin, Saturday, August 29, 2020
The biennial World Games was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Relations between Germany's dictator Hitler and England and their allies were strained as a full-blown world war erupted. At that time, dictator Hitler instilled fanatic nationalism in the German people. The German players showed more enthusiasm, excitement and negativity than skill in the game. The Indian and German hockey teams were on the field for the gold medal. With Hitler himself present to watch the match, the victory became a matter of prestige for the German players.
India's strong leadership was in the hands of the magician Major Dhyanchand. As Dhyan Chand's magical touch of hockey turned into a goal, the German spectator camp was handed over. The only goal in the first half came from India. Germany trailing 1-0. In the second half, the German team made desperate attempts to get the lead but scored a superb goal, leaving Germany far behind.
For Hitler, who was present at the stadium to watch Germany's victory, Germany was on the verge of defeat. India's pallu finally got so heavy that Germany were not in a position to return to the match. So Hitler also left the match in the middle. In the end, India won the gold medal in the game of hockey by defeating Germany by a big margin of 8-1. Dhyan Chand contributed a total of 6 goals in this match.
Hitler left the match but was remembered by Major Dhyanchand, the player who laid the foundation for Germany's defeat. It seemed necessary to meet a player of the Indian team to turn the tide of the match. When Hitler finally gathered information about Dhyan Chand, he realized that this was a man of some clay. Dhyan Chand was also worried when Hitler called him to meet him. Hitler's strong impression was known to the world.
There were also fears that the German team would take action for beating them so badly. When Dhyan Chand met Hitler, Hitler praised his hockey skills. Hitler went further and offered to be a field marshal in the German army. Although this was a much higher position and honor than the sepoys of the British army, Dhyan Chand politely rejected the offer. After this incident, Major Dhyanchand's name became famous in Indian hockey. When the Indian hockey team returned home, the British government made Dhyan Chand a hero in the army in celebration of the Berlin victory.
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