Graphic biography on Dhyan Chand launched

New Delhi: The venue that bears his name today aptly played host to the launch of Dhyan Chand's graphic biography, which will transport the readers to the good old days of Indian hockey when the wizard would rule the world with his sorcery. The first-of-its-kind book on a sportsman, titled 'Dhyan Chand - The Wizard of Hockey', was launched here on the National Sports Day to commemorate the 108th birth anniversary of the legend. The book is being printed by comic-series publication Amar Chitra Katha. "The idea to come out with a book on Dhyan Chand came to us around 18 months back. There is no better personality than him to inspire young children to play sport. He was a great figure and epitome of excellence in his field. We wanted people to learn how to excel despite facing hardships in life and what better personality than him," said Reena Puri, Editor of Amar Chitra Katha. The book focussed on his achievements and goal-scoring feats at 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics that got him the title 'The Wizard.' "It was difficult to find reference material on him. We have relied on his autobiography (Goal) to get information on him. We even contacted Laussane (IOC headquarters) to get more material about those days. For instance what clothes did the Indian team wore at Olympics but they too had black and white photos of that era," she said. "Not only it's a fitting tribute to a man who had become synonymous to Indian sport during that period but it also recognises his commitment towards the nation," felt Puri. The publishers said the book will not only cater to the young children due to its comic-type representation of the events but will also be adored by all age group. "We have kept his commitment and efforts towards India's success on the hockey field as centre of the book. We have not ventured into his family life," she said of the man who scored over 400 international goals in a career spanning more than 20 years. The script of the book, which is available for Rs 100 at all leading book stores, has been written by Luis Fernandes, who researched extensively on the subject. The book was launched in the presence of Minister of State for Human Resource Development Shashi Tharoor at the iconic Dhyan Chand stadium here.