According to me the main difference would me the great Dhayan and Roop Chand played in the same century as Sachin tendulkar did but Sachin took the game to next level whereas in hockey they failed to take the game to next step. Even in the absence of Tendulkar India won many matches where as in hockey after the two legends left they just collapsed

I guess your statement regarding Dhayan and Roop Singh is wrong. It was not their fault that Indian Hockey team is not at the best at present.They are true legends and it was during their presence that India almost dominated the World Hockey.

I read some of these fats, but sorry couldn't recollect the source of Info.

i) Once Indian Hockey team toured Australia and New Zealand, and the played some 40 matches ( not sure about the exact matches) and they won all the matches very very convincingly. The overall Indian team score in some hundreds and majority were from Dyan Chand. Cicket Legend Don Bradman was shocked to see such a performance and he also expressed his doubts, whether it is cricket of hockey, because the hockey score looks like individual Indian score.

ii) Some source say that many had their doubt about Dyan Chand's Hockey bat, whether it has any magnet or not,because once the ball comes to him, it becomes hard for the opposition to tackle.You can imagine, when a person thinks like this( thinking that bat has magnet) about a player and it happened, because Dyan Chand was a great great legend and knew every aspects of the game.

He was such a great player and has huge respect all over the world.

So I Strongly disagree with Deivigan's statement.

India won Olympic gold medal when Dyan Chand's was in the team during the year,

1928 Amsterdam
1932 Los Angeles
1936 Berlin

But India managed to win more gold medals, and this was possible only because of these legend players. Without Dyan Chand (but with his inspiration and the idea's he generated during his period) India managed to win many medals in Olympics and it includes,

Gold medal - 1948 - London, UK
Gold medal - 1952 - Helsinki, Finland
Gold medal - 1956 - Melbourne, Australia
Silver medal - 1960 - Rome, Italy
Gold medal - 1964 - Tokyo, Japan
Bronze medal - 1968 - Mexico City, Mexico
Bronze medal - 1972 - Munich, Germany
Gold medal - 1980 - Moscow, Russia

So the above stats clearly indicates, your point of view is wrong and India manged to win more Gold Medals because it was players like Dyan Chand and Roop Singh who took hockey to the next level and just imagine, how would have been India's hockey without them.

But coming to the present team , Indian team is doing bad and this mainly due to the internal problems, political game and lack of interests shown by the Government. If the Government would have shown enough interest, with proper training facilities and other issues, India's gold Quest wouldn't have stopped at 1980's Olympics.

So Once again I strongly disagree with your view and my suggestion is that we can give Bharat Ratna to Sachin, but only after it is given to players like Dyan Chand and many more.

But The real fact is that it will be very tough from Central Government's point of view, because the chances of Awarding Bharat Ratna to Sports player are less compared to that of other field. But if they are ready to give, then it must start with Dyan Chand and automatically Sachin will follow the list.

No doubt Sachin is the legend, but when we compare Sachin with Dyan Chand, I Prefer Dyan Chand to Sachin, as the greatest Legendary Sports Player in the world.

Hi Raghaav!

You are absolutely correct and I too do not agree with Deivigan. In fact, as you have very rightly pointed out that Indian hockey ruled supreme after the departure of great Dhayan Chand.To my mind partition and introduction of astro-turf contributed significantly to the decline of Indian Hockey.

Raaghav, Really that's really a wonderful effort and great news cos I'm not much aware of sports and all and not a cricket buff either...But of what you have written it's obvious that Hockey is now in very low stage..Thanks to all the ads and publicity for Cricket...

Many members are repeatedly naming Dhyan Chand and Roop chand illustrious Hockey players. The Bharat Ratna and aither Padma awards were instituted after 1950 when our constitution became effective. These awards can be given only to those eligible for these awards after 1950 or later. we can not go to the past for giving such awards. There are other ways to honor the historic legendary figures. for example, we have at Agra a stadium named after 'Eklavya' a legendary marksman of Mahabharat fame. At Ramgarh cantt (Jharkhand), the stadium is named after Major Dhyan Chand, the noted Hockey player, who belonged to Punjab Regiment. Currently, Sachin Tendulkar is the only sportsman, worth consideration for the highest civilian award- Bharat Ratna. There is no injustice to other sportsmen as none else appears more eligible for the time being.

Hi gulshan kumar ajmani , you are correct, The awards were instituted on 1954, but this doesn't mean that the those who served the nation before 1950's aren't eligible for these awards.

Example, Sir CV Raman received Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 and he was awarded Nobel Prize in 1954.

We can many examples like this. So the point of discussion that "eligibility criteria - after 1950's" is out of question now.

As I mentioned earlier, Sachin is the right candidate, but if award is given to any sportsperson, then we must honor the efforts made by many sportsmen in the past and automatically, Dyan Chand tops the list.

Have a nice day.

I simply do not understand what makes Dhyan Chand ineligible for a posthumous "Bharat Ratna" award as we have several receipients of "Bharat Ratna".Late Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1966 incidentally he died in 1966 and he was awarded posthumously.K.Kamraj the Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu in 1976,Binova Bhave,the great social reformer in 1983,M.G.Ramchandran in 1988,the architect of our Constitution Dr. B.R.Ambedkar in 1990, Sardar Bhallavbhai Patel in 1991,Aruna Asaf Ali the famous Independence activist in 1997,Jay Prakash Narayan in 1999,Gopinath Bordoloi in 1999.There are as many as 12 posthumous awardees and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose who was awarded "Bharat Ratna" in 1992 but it was withdrwan due to a legal technicality. It is important to note in this context that originally there was no provision for posthumous award but in 1955 a provision was added to make it possible.To my knowledge this provision still stands good.

yes all the sports should be equally awarded in each and every game

Hi Raaghavan Krishnamurthy, You have mentioned Nobel Prize to Sir C.V. Raman. Nobel Prize was instituted much earlier. During British days, there were different awards. The Bharat Ratna and padma awards have been instituted in free India. Most appropriate course is to give the award to best current performers. The past eminent persons can be honored by naming streets and other places after them or instituting prize after their name. for example, we have Arjuna awards for sports, in name of Mahabharata fame Arjuna.

Hi gulshan kumar ajmani , You have a very valid point but at the same time the real fact is very simple,

i) As you mentioned we have many awards for Sports person and so it is difficult from Government point of view to award Bahart Ratna for sports.

ii) But in case, if the Government agreed to award Bharat Ratna to sports players, then without hesitation, it must be first awarded to Dyan Chand and many LEGENDS of the past.

I once again make sure that " Sachin Deserves Bharat Ratna, but only if it is given to players like Dyan Chand, and once it is given to them, Sachin will automatically get it."

I am a great fan of Sachin and at the same time, if Sachin gets Bharat Ratna first , then I am very sure that it is an injustice to other players like great legend like Dyan Chand.

Hi gulshan kumar ajmani, you also mentioned other ideas like naming streets after players name. To some extent you are correct, but it will be injustice to say, let us name a street or stadium name after Dyan Chand and give Bharat Ratna to Sachin. If the Government decide to honor sports person by naming the stadium after their names, them it must be followed to all sports people. It doesn't make sense in awarding one legend with Bharat Ratna and other legend, by using his/her name for stadium or Street.

I am not sure about others, but from my point of view Dyan Chand is a great legend and he is the best sports person that India has ever produced. This doesn't mean Sachin is not the best, as a matter of fact Sachin is the best and it is not appropriate to compare our legend Sachin with the LEGEND OF THE LEGEND, Dyan Chand.

Dyan Chand's birthday, August 20 is considered as the National Sports Day in India and it is on this day , sports awards like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award are awarded.

So first preference must be given to Dyan Chand and if not, definitely many will feel it is an injustice.