Autobiography of Hockey Wizard Dhyan Chand
Published by Sport & Pastime, Chennai, 1952
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Olympic
| Since we represented British India, our flag was the
Union Jack, with the Star of India embossed on it. The captain of the United
States team took the traditional oath on behalf of all the athletes.
It was the most impressive parade I had ever witnessed in my life. In the massive stadium built for 100,000 people, there was not a seat vacant. The world's outstanding athletes, men and women, were in the parade. |
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were all eagerly looking forward to the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.
On July 30, the Games were officially declared open by vice-president Charles
Curtis, in the absence of president Hoover.
In the Olympic parade of nations, the Indian contingent received the greatest applause, its colourful turbans outshining everything else. Our clothing comprised brown shoes, white flannel trousers, a light blue blazer coat - popularly known as the Cambridge Blue - with the Star of India monogram as the crest. The headgear was the Punjabi type turban.
I have a hunch that our manager, G. D. Sondhi, was the author of this dress regulation, which was approved by the Indian Olympic Association. This sartorial ensemble has been in vogue ever since for all Indians participating in the Olympics.
As per tradition, Greece was accorded the honour of leading the parade, and the host country, United States, came last. The other nations filed up in alphabetical order per the English language.
We were very pleased that our captain, Lal Shah Bokhari, was given the honour of carrying our flag in the parade, an honour that would fall to me in 1936. Mr. Sondhi thought very rightly that since Indian hockey was right on top, we should get a preference.
I was surprised to hear that in 1948, there was a dispute in the London Olympics over this issue when the Indian hockey contingent pressed the claim of the captain of the hockey team to carry the flag.
In 1948, India had a bigger contingent representing besides hockey, athletics, football, swimming, boxing, wrestling, weight-lifting and cycling. These interests asked why the honour should go to the hockey team every time. Therefore, in London, for the first time the captain of the Indian hockey team did not carry the flag.
Since we represented British India, our flag was the Union Jack, with the Star of India embossed on it. The captain of the United States team took the traditional oath on behalf of all the athletes.
It was the most impressive parade I had ever witnessed in my life. In the massive stadium built for 100,000 people, there was not a seat vacant. The world's outstanding athletes, men and women, were in the parade.
I felt very sorry for the world-famous Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, who had got himself into trouble over the issue of his amateur status. He was in Los Angles practising hard very morning in the hope that he would be allowed to run, but the Olympic Committee decided that Nurmi had infringed rules and he was not allowed to run.
Athletes Taking the Oath in the Olympic Stadium on the Opening Day of the Los Angeles Games