Indian Independence Day 2021: Hockey Magician In Hitlers City, India Beat Germany 8-1 In Berlin Olympics On This Day

Before the start of the 1936 Olympic Games, the Indian team lost 4–1 to Germany in a practice match. Major Dhyan Chand has written in his autobiography ‘Gol’, referring to this defeat that ‘as long as I live. I will never forget this loss.

This defeat shook us so much that we could not sleep the whole night.’ The final match against Germany was to be played on 14 August 1936, but it rained heavily on that day. So the match was played on the next day, i.e. 15th August.

On that day 40 thousand people were present at the hockey stadium in Berlin to watch the final.
Before the match, manager Pankaj Gupta suddenly took out the ‘Congress Party’ flag. He was saluted by all the players. Till that time India did not have any flag of its own. He was under Britain and was participating in the Olympic Games under the ‘Union Jack’. At the hockey stadium in Berlin, 40 thousand people were present that day to watch the final. Among the spectators were the Maharaja of Baroda and the Begum of Bhopal as well as top people of the German leadership.

India were ahead by just one goal at half time. After this Dhyan Chand took off his spiked shoes and started playing barefoot. After that there was a flurry of bullets. After scoring 6 goals, the Germans started playing rough hockey. His goalkeeper’s stick hit Dhyan Chand’s mouth so hard that he broke his tooth.

After returning to the field after treatment, Dhyan Chand instructed the players not to hit any goals, only to show the German players how to control the ball. India beat Germany 8-1 and three goals were scored by Dhyan Chand.

Before the start of the 1936 Olympic Games, the Indian team lost 4–1 to Germany in a practice match. Major Dhyan Chand has written in his autobiography ‘Gol’, referring to this defeat that ‘as long as I live. I will never forget this loss.

This defeat shook us so much that we could not sleep the whole night.’ The final match against Germany was to be played on 14 August 1936, but it rained heavily on that day. So the match was played on the next day, i.e. 15th August.

On that day 40 thousand people were present at the hockey stadium in Berlin to watch the final.

Before the match, manager Pankaj Gupta suddenly took out the ‘Congress Party’ flag. He was saluted by all the players. Till that time India did not have any flag of its own. He was under Britain and was participating in the Olympic Games under the ‘Union Jack’. At the hockey stadium in Berlin, 40 thousand people were present that day to watch the final. Among the spectators were the Maharaja of Baroda and the Begum of Bhopal as well as top people of the German leadership.

India were ahead by just one goal at half time. After this Dhyan Chand took off his spiked shoes and started playing barefoot. After that there was a flurry of bullets. After scoring 6 goals, the Germans started playing rough hockey. His goalkeeper’s stick hit Dhyan Chand’s mouth so hard that he broke his tooth.

After returning to the field after treatment, Dhyan Chand instructed the players not to hit any goals, only to show the German players how to control the ball. India beat Germany 8-1 and three goals were scored by Dhyan Chand.