We Got Our Independence In 1936 In Front Of Hitler, When…, Dhyan Chands Son Gets Emotional During Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav

Ashok Kumar scored India’s winning goal against Pakistan in the final of the 1975 Hockey World Cup in Malaysia. He had also won an Olympic bronze (1972), World Cup bronze (1971), silver (1973) and three Asiad silver medals.

New Delhi: Sports played a key role in India’s Independence movement in 1947. Introduced by the British to the Indian Army, hockey attracted the masses and became a pillar of success as the Indian team went on to conquer the world with three Olympic gold medals before Independence in 1947. On the occasion of India’s 77th Independence Day, India.com sat with Ashok Kumar, son of Hockey Wizard Major Dhyan Chand, in an exclusive interview where he speaks about his childhood memories, anecdotes of India’s 1975 Hockey World Cup-winning campaign and untold stories of his father. Here are the excerpts…

What are your memories of Independence Day?

I can recall my school days when we used to do Independence Day parades, salute the Tricolour, do march past on the 15th of August. In those days the celebrations used to start 8-10 days prior to Independence Day. It was a surreal feeling. Constitution-wise, we got our Independence in 1947 but in sporting history, we got our Independence in 1936 when India defeated Germany 8-1 in the final (Major Dhyan Chand scored a hattrick) on their own soil in front of Adolf Hitler to take the Olympics gold in Berlin. There is no denying that leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad and others fought for our country but I also feel that the then-Indian hockey team also had a role to play in our Independence because we had beaten the whole world at that time. That was itself a big achievement for us. (India were three-time Olympic champions by 1947, having won gold in 1928, 1932 and 1936).

Feeling after beating Pakistan in 1975 World Cup Final

I started playing for India in 1970 and we didn’t win a gold medal for the next four years. In that period one thing that used to haunt me is that I am playing and still we aren’t winning a gold medal. When I went to Malaysia for the 1975 World Cup, as we entered the hotel, the trophy was kept in front of us.
All the other boys in our team went to fill up their forms and I went to the World Cup trophy and I committed myself that ‘Ashok, whatever hockey you have learned by now, it’s time that you give back something to the country in the form of gold. You also belong to that same family that has brought hockey gold to the country.’

In that edition, India went through many ups and downs in the tournament. In the final, I got a ball from a long corner inside the ‘D’ and I dodge a couple of players and push the ball in the back of the net. The next moment I was on the top of the world. Today, I feel proud that I have won a World Cup gold medal for my country.

Couple of pats for Hockey World Cup Gold

In my entire career, I played only for the gold. I have never shown any of my medals to my father before that day, be it from the Olympics or Asian Games or World Cup silver or bronze. But after I won that World Cup gold, I kept my gold medal in front of my father and he only tapped on my back two-three times and no words. I could feel that he was happy.

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Major Dhyan Chand, a triple Olympic champion passed on his prowess to son Ashok Kumar, the Munich 1972 medalist!

Indeed a dynasty of champions! @TheHockeyIndia | @FIH_Hockey pic.twitter.com/fEUGcjvIST

— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) July 18, 2023

How has hockey changed over the years?

When we won the World Cup gold in 1975, it was 28 years after Independence but the country was battling its own problems. Sports wasn’t a big thing at that time but we had some really passionate hockey talents. We played without shoes, but still, we played to show the world how Indian hockey survives in adverse situations. Our style of playing hockey was world-famous at that time and the way of controlling the ball in those uneven grounds was seriously a tough task. We used to play only the facing-forward style of hockey where our body shape was always on the forward side. Nowadays, it is entirely different hockey, but this is not the hockey that we played, Dhyan Chand played, Balbir Singh played. We showed to the world what is meaning of ball control.

Talk to us about the emotional connection of representing India because during your time there was no glamour and money as the game has to offer nowadays..

In our time there was no money that was required to live a healthy life. If you see our former hockey players, they got nothing except the gold medal. Today, the players get paid a lot of money for every match or tournament they play and that genuine urge to win the medal stays somewhere in the middle because even if they lose, they will get the money. But for us, we used to cry. I remember in the 1973 World Cup when we lost gold to the Netherlands. Post that, we went to Argentina and there was not a single evening when we didn’t cry about not winning the World Cup. Each and every member used to blame themselves for the mistakes they made. We never used to blame others, we used to blame ourselves.

Threw my hockey stick into crowd after the 1975 WC Gold

In those days, gold was everything we need, and were not much concerned about taking photographs, or keeping jerseys and hockey sticks. We used to get a couple of hockey sticks and jerseys. I still remember, after we won the World Cup final, I ran towards the crowds and threw my stick in that crowd. I didn’t know to whom it went, but that hockey stick has been found later on.

Pieces of yellow cloth in the name of blessing

Let me tell you a story. We had a good Indian fan base in Malaysia. On the day of the final against Pakistan, at around 7 o’clock in the morning, a visitor came to me. Our coach and manager were accompanying him and all of them came to my room. He gave me a small bag and it contained dark yellow pieces of cloth. That visitor requested that we should play the final keeping those pieces of cloth in our pockets. I distributed those to every member of out team before the game. Since we won, I could now say that maybe that was a blessing for us on that day.

Legacy of Major Dhyan Chand

I was in Utrecht during the 1998 World Cup as a part of the Indian veterans’ team and went to see the final between Spain and Netherlands. As I was enjoying the match, a foreign gentleman came and sat beside me in the crowd. But what shocked me was that he was wearing an Indian tie (that was used to be given to the players). Out of curiosity, I asked him about the tie and he said it was given to him by Major Dhyan Chand during the 1936 Olympics. I softly told him that Dhyan was my father. Then he got up and hugged me and we exchanged pleasantries.

When Nehru Ji asked Dhyan Chand for one of his medals

After the Independence in 1947, there was a function where Major Dhyan Chand was invited and a parade took place. He was presented with a medal at that time which is still kept in Jhansi today. After we got our Independence, several renowned personalities were invited by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. He then jokingly asked my father, ‘Dhyan Chand, you have so many medals on your chest. Give me one’.

Your assessment of current Indian hockey team

I had said it before that the players look more confident now. As far as the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 final was concerned, the chances that we converted were because of sheer luck. We had no other way but to fight after going 1-3 down. There is no doubt that the current batch is playing good hockey but the way we are conceding goals, it remains a concern. But overall, it was a commendable win by India.

How can they improve?

This is nothing but nervousness. The players need to control their nervous system on their own. The team may have several mentors or coaches who try to calm their nerves, but this is an individual thing and the players need to calm their own nerves. Take a deep breath, regain your power, and then rethink.