Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey legend, was born in:

Major Dhyan Chand was born on 29 August 1905 in Allahabad (now Prayagraj), Uttar Pradesh. His family later settled in Jhansi, which became his home town, so he is closely associated with Jhansi.

Early life:

His father, Sameshwar Singh, was a soldier in the British Indian Army and also played hockey.

Dhyan Chand joined the British Indian Army as a sepoy in 1922, at the age of 16. He developed his hockey skills while serving in the army.

His original name was Dhyan Singh. He was called "Chand" (moon) because he often practised at night by moonlight.

Achievements:

He won three Olympic gold medals with the Indian team, in 1928 (Amsterdam), 1932 (Los Angeles) and 1936 (Berlin). He was captain in 1936.

He is believed to have scored over 400 goals in his international and first-class career.

He was famous for his extraordinary ball control, which earned him the name "The Wizard" (Jadugar).

He retired from the army as a Major in 1956 and received the Padma Bhushan the same year.

Honours in his name:

• His birthday, 29 August, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India.
• India's highest sporting honour was renamed the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021.
• The National Stadium in New Delhi is named the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.
• There is a statue of him at Jhansi, on a hill, showing him with a hockey stick.
• He died on 3 December 1979 in Delhi.
• His younger brother, Roop Singh, was also an Olympic champion, and his son, Ashok Kumar, scored the winning goal in the 1975 Hockey World Cup final.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Jhansi is where he grew up and lived, but he was born in Allahabad.
• ✗Gwalior has the stadium named after his brother Roop Singh.
• ✗Lucknow has stadiums and sports institutions but is not his birthplace.