Issued by India

Issued on Dec 3, 1980

Issued for : Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department is privileged to issue a commemorative stamp in his honour.

Description of Designs : The stamp design consists of portrait of Dhyan Chand. The first day cover depicts Dhyan Chand in action.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Mineral red

Denomination : 35 Paise

Overall size : 4.06 x 2.75 cms.

Printing size : 3.70 x 2.40 cms.

Perforation : 14½ x 14

Paper : Star and Government of India watermarked paper

Number printed : 20,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 40

Printing process : Photogravure

Designed and printed at : India Security Press

Name : Dhyan Singh

Born on Aug 29, 1905 at Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

Died on Dec 3, 1979 at Delhi, India

About : 

• Dhyan Chand was born on 28 August 1905 in a Rajput family of Prayag in Uttar Pradesh. After his birth, his family moved to Jhansi, where Dhyan Chand spent his childhood and most of the later years of his life. After his early education, he joined the Indian Army as a soldier at the age of 16.
• The seeds of artistry in hockey were planted and nurtured in him by Subedar Major Tiwari of his regiment. An Indian team participated in the Hockey Tournament for the first time in the VIII Olympiad held at Amsterdam in 1928. India won the championship by 3-0. Out of the three goals, two were scored by Dhyan Chand. In 1932 Olympics at Los Angeles, Indian team under the captainship of Lal Shah Bukhari again won the championship. India defeated America by 24-1 and thus set a world record. Nine out of 24 goals were scored by Dhyan Chand and ten by his younger brother, Roop Singh.
• In the X Olympiad held at Berlin in 1936, Dhyan Chand captained the Indian team. India defeated Germany by 4-1. Dhyan Chand exhibited such a wizardry with his hockey stick that speculation was rife that a magnet was embedded in his hockey stick to attract the ball. His hockey stick was ordered to be changed but his play continued to hold the spectators and his opponents spellbound. The Second World War intervened and the subsequent Olympiads were not held. Dhyan Chand thereafter retired from active hockey but his passion for the game remained undimmed. He guided and coached a large number of hockey players. His son, Ashok Kumar, under his inspired coaching added lustre to Indian Hockey by representing India in international tourneys.
• Dhyan Chand retired from the Army in 1956 with the rank of Major. The President of India conferred on him the award of Padma Bhushan in recognition of his outstanding services to the cause of Indian hockey. He passed away on 3^rd December 1979.
• (The above text is based on material published elsewhere and/or supplied by the sponsors.)

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Issued by Pakistan

Issued on Oct 24, 1971

Issued for : To mark the World Cup Hockey Tournament being held in Barcelona (SPAIN), the Pakistan Post Office is issuing a Commemorative Postage Stamp of 20-Paisa denomination on 24-10-1971.

Design : The format of the stamp is vertical. A decorative border in green colour surrounds the central design, comprising the “World Cup Hockey Trophy” and a hockey player with hockey stick and a ball placed against the red drapery of the background. The words “World Cup Hockey Tournament, Barcelona (Spain) 15/24 October 1971″, and the words ‘Postage’ and ‘Paisa’ are in black. The value ’20’ above the word ‘Paisa’, and the words ‘Pakistan‘ in Bengali, Urdu and English, lying on a green strip at the bottom of the stamp are in yellow colour.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 20 Paisa

Colour : Red, Yellow, Green, & Black

Size of stamp : 44.5 x 32.5 mm.

Size of Print : 41.5 x 29.5 mm.

Perforation gauge : 13 x 13 (c)

Quantity printed : 15,00,000

Number of Stamps in each sheet : 50

Process of printing : Litho Offset

Printers : The Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Ltd., Karachi

About : 

• Hockey is the only major game in the world, which remains practically forgotten between one Olympics and the next. None of the International Tournaments outside the Olympics, assures the winner of World supremacy. Badminton has the Thomas Cup, Football, the World Cup, and Tennis the Davis Cup, but hockey has nothing comparable to such honours.
• Pakistan, being the World leaders in hockey felt its responsibility to keep the World’s interest alive in the game of hockey. With this end in view, Pakistan had proposed that International World Cup Tournament be held at Lahore in February 1971; the Federation of International Hockey appreciated this idea and accorded its whole-hearted approval, due to unavoidable circumstances, the proposed tournament could not be held in February 1971. And the venue has since been changed from Lahore to Barcelona by the International Federation.
• The history of this game is closely linked with the history of the Indo-Pak Sub-continent. In pre-Independence days, the Indian hockey teams used to take part in World Olympics, and whatever glory they won in that period must be shared in equal by Pakistan and India, because quite a few players of the All India teams hailed from areas which are now a part of Pakistan. After Independence, however, Pakistan and India fielded their own teams and vied with one another for World supremacy in this game.
• In the early years Pakistan suffered reverses at the hands of India but later Pakistan made gradual progress in improving their technique until she was rewarded by winning the Silver Medal in the Melbourne Olympics and thereby gaining International recognition in the game in 1956.

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Issued by Pakistan

Issued on Jan 30, 1969

Design : The format of the stamps is rectangular and vertical. There is a green panel at the top, in the left portion of which appears the lettering “MEXICO OLYMPICS 1968” and the olympics rings in the right half portion, all in reverse. The Background below the panel is in pink colour in Re. 1/- stamp and light blue in 15 Paisa stamp. A hockey player is shown in action near the left side of the stamp in green, black and white, partially superimposed on a fairly large size facsimile of Gold Medal which is printed in gold and green. The inscription and other details of gold medal being in green. The word “Pakistan” in Bengali, Urdu and English reads on one line at the bottom in black. Just above this line appears the word “Postage” at the left end and the denominations Re. 1/- or Paisa 15 at the right end in black. The caption “HOCKEY CHAMPIONS” appears just below the green panel in black.

Type : Stamps, Postal Used

Denomination : 15 Paisa and 1 Rupee

Colour :
15 Paisa – Light blue, black, green and gold
Re. 1.00 – Pink, black, green and gold

Size of stamps : 33 x 41 mm.

Size of prints : 30 x 38 mm.

Perforation Gauge : 13 x 13½ (c)

Quantity printed :
15 Paisa – 15,00,000
Re. 1.00 – 10,00,000

Number of stamps in each sheet : 50

Process of Printing : Photogravure

Printers : The Pakistan Security Printing Corporation Ltd., Karachi

About : 

• As a happy coincidence, the culmination of the Decade of Reforms on 26^th October, 1968 brought in a new glory for Pakistan in the field of sports when it won back the coveted world hockey crown at the Mexico Olympics. After a series of dazzling victories, Pakistan re-established its position as the unbeaten world champions in hockey.
• Since long the areas now in Pakistan have produced many great hockey players who won international acclaim. Immediately after Independence this branch of sports, however, did not receive enough encouragement in the country, as such the performance during the first few years were not very encouraging. The young nation did not fare as well as they should have in London Olympics in 1948 where they finished fourth. Four years later in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics Pakistan again failed to achieve great results. This led to the formation of a committee whose recommendations were later put into effect and hockey activities were accelerated.
• Pakistan made its mark in the international hockey when they reached the final in the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. Only two years later in the Asian Games at Tokyo, Pakistan won the gold medal from India on better goal average. It was a magnificent achievement on the part of Pakistan but a bigger occasion still awaited the new Asian Champions. Two years later, at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Pakistan led by Hamidi became world Hockey Champions.
• In 1962 at Jakarta Pakistan defended the Asian crown, beating India by two goals to nil.
• Pakistan, however, suffered setback in 1964 Tokyo Olympics when she surrendered the world title to India. In 1966 Pakistan lost the Asian title also.
• In 1967 Pakistan played test series against Holland and Australia and later participated in the London Hockey Festival. In early 1968 an International Hockey Festival was held at Lahore where Pakistan finished on top. Later Japan visited Pakistan but the Japanese team was beaten in all the three tests.
• During the two years preceding 1968 Olympics, various combination were tried for the Pakistan team and finally a satisfactory combination was found out. A panel of coaches was entrusted with the job of training the players at Lower Topa keeping in view the high altitude of the Mexico City.
• All these efforts were amply rewarded when the team came out victorious at the Mexico City Olympics beating Holland, Kenya, France, Argentina, Australia, Malaysia & West Germany. The President of Pakistan Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan congratulated the members of the Pakistan Hockey Team on their superb performance. In a cable sent to the skipper, Tariq Aziz, the President said, “I heartily congratulate you and all members of your team on their grand victory in the Olympic Championship. This is a tribute to your team spirit, dedication and skill. Pakistan is proud of your superb performance”.
• Issued by the Director General, Pakistan Post Office, Karachi.

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