15 August 1936 was a remarkable day in Berlin. Ninety years ago—more than a decade before India became an independent country—the Indian hockey team, led by Dhyan Chand, played the final of the Berlin Olympics, which were marked by intense Nazi propaganda. They went on to defeat the host nation, Germany, 8–1, to win their third consecutive Olympic gold medal, following victories in Amsterdam in 1928 and in Los Angeles in 1932. At the centre of this remarkable victory was Major Dhyan Chand, the legend who would be immortalised as the Wizard of Hockey.
The date has significance. The final was originally scheduled for 14 August 1936, but inclement weather rendered the pitch unplayable; it was postponed to 15 August. This was exactly eleven years before India would become independent. The Tricolour was not yet the Indian flag. Yet the Dhyan Chand-led hockey team demonstrated confidence and excellence that transcended its status as a colonised country.
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