1932 Tokyo Olympics: Indian hockey team a ‘typhoon out of the east’

At the interval, we were leading by ten goals to nil. Incidentally, the twenty-four goals scored was a world record for us. I scored eight, Roop Singh ten, Gurmit Singh five and Pinniger one. The lone American goal was scored by Bodlington.

Dhyan Chand


Dhyan Chand in action against the United States at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. India won the game by a record 23 goal margin.   -  The Hindu Photo Library

We played our first match on August 4 against Japan and as anticipated we won easily by eleven goals to one. Our performance was a little less impressive in the sense that in the 1928 Olympics not a goal was scored against us although we had played against better-known hockey nations than Japan and the United States, who had taken up hockey only lately. I cannot account why and how the goal was scored against us, and of all persons a goalkeeper like Allen was beaten. We took the match rather lightly because we had met Japan in Tokyo on our way to the United States and we knew their strength, but Japan played much better during the Games. I have forgotten to mention one thing: almost every day when we were practising at the university ground, we saw the Japanese hockey players watching us minutely. In this very short time, the Japs copied our style of play fairly well. Hamada, their diminutive goalkeeper, had a hectic time defending his goal. We scored four goals in the first half. The Japs’ solitary point was scored in the second half, Inochora, their outside-left, converting a penalty corner with a shot that surprised our defenders. It was a quick flick and just entered the net between Allen and, as far as I remember, Tapsell. The Japs seemed content to hold this score down, playing a truly defensive game throughout. Roop Singh and Gurmit Singh each scored thrice, Dickie Carr once and myself four times.