* It was hard for people to believe that somebody could have the kind of hockey skills Dhyan had. In Holland, the authorities broke his hockey stick to check if there was a magnet inside, in Japan they felt Dhyan was using some glue which made the ball stick to it and in Germany, Adolf Hitler believing the stick to be Dhyan's source of power, even offered to buy it!

*Dhyan Chand scored over a thousand goals in a career spanning 22 years (1926 -1948), more than any other hockey player in the world!

*A sports club in Vienna built a statue of Dhyan Chand with four hands and four sticks. To the Viennese, it seemed that no ordinary man with two hands and one stick could have played as well as Dhyan!.

*In spite of all his achievements Dhyan Chand was a simple man. His autobiography 'Goal' begins with the words "You are doubtless aware that I am a common man!"

The first Women's World Cup was held in 1974, and women's hockey became an Olympic event in 1980.

The major international hockey events today are the World Cup, Olympics, the Asian Games and the Champions Trophy.

Hockey is a team sport. The game is played by two groups of 11 players each on a rectangular field (91.4 m long and 55 m wide). The goals at the two ends are 3.66 m wide and 2.13 m high.

Every player has a stick, which is usually around 4 feet long and weighs 340 to 790 grams. Only the flat left side of the stick may be used to strike the ball.

The aim of the game is to try to hit the ball into the goal of the opposing team. However this is not easy as there are a number of fouls you must avoid. Raising the stick above the shoulder while playing the ball is illegal.

Stopping the ball with the hand, body or feet is a foul. You cannot come in the way of another player by putting your stick or any part of the body between the opponent and the ball or by running between the opponent and the ball.

Most fouls are penalized by giving the opposition a free hit from the point where the player had been fouled. There are two umpires for every hockey match (one for each half of the field) who are on the lookout for any sign of foul play during the game. Fouls are usually awarded with a free hit at the point where the foul occurred, to the non-offending side.

But there are exceptions. For example, when the attacking team sends the ball over the back boundary line, a free hit is taken 16 yards from the spot where the ball crossed the line.

Another type of hit is the Push-in, awarded to the opposition if a player hits the ball over the sideline. While striking a Push-in, all other players must be at least at a 5-yard distance from the spot where the ball is it.

A penalty stroke is awarded for any foul in the circle. The stroke involves two players - a striker who stands 7 yards away from the goalpost and the goalkeeper who defends the goalpost (all other players stand out of the way).

At the end of the match time, if the score is tied, the game may be continued with an extra-time in two 7½ minutes shifts. The extra-time ends when any of the team manages to score a goal. If none of the teams are able to score even in the extra time, penalty strokes may be used to decide the winner. Each team chooses five players who try to hit the ball into the goal by turn. The team which scores more goals, wins.

Astroturf: Playing field made of synthetic materials.

The Astroturf was first used at the 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal. Nowadays all international matches are played on this surface.

Centre pass: A pass back from the center of the field used to start the game or restart the action following a score.

Circle: A semicircle measured out 16 yards from each goal line. All goals must be struck from within this circle.

Corner: Hit awarded to attacking side after the ball has been accidentally sent over the goal line by a defender from inside his own 25-yard line. The hit is made from the corner of the field. A penalty-hit is awarded to the attacking side when the ball has been purposely sent over the goal line by a defender from anywhere on the field. The hit may be taken from anywhere on the goal line, but not within 10 yards of a goalpost.

The "D": Commonly used term for the striking circle. The term is used because the 16-yard semicircle line of the striking circle (which joins the goal line) forms a D shaped area.

Half: One of the two sections of the playing area separated by the centerline.

Hooking: Stopping an opponent by hooking his stick with one's own; a foul.

Penalty Corner: A free hit awarded to an offensive player from a point on the goal line least 10 yards from the nearest goal post. One attacking player hits the ball to a teammate just outside the striking circle line. No shot on goal may be taken until the ball is stopped or come to rest on the ground outside the circle. All attackers must be outside the circle before the hit is taken. A maximum of five defenders may be behind the goal line while the remaining defenders must be positioned beyond the centerline.

Pitch: The playing field - 100 yards by 60 yards, divided by a center-line and a 25-yard line of each half of the field.

Time wasting: Any action or non-action, which prevents play from continuing or starting within a reasonable time.

Watered-down: The soaking of the artificial surface in all international matches. A wet turf 'holds' the ball to the ground better than dry turf and it is better for the health of the athletes.