From Dhyan Chand to MAK Patuadi: A look at the Top 10 Indian Sporting families
Sports are integral to any society; different sports are given importance in various countries. Families which tend to have a sportsperson in them see the future generations also turn into Sportspersons. There are a many of sporting dynasties in the world with the younger generations following in the footsteps of their parents.Also read: Milkha Singh: Did he ever hold the 400m world record? 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' makes major goof by claiming he didHere’s a look at some Global sporting families:1.The Alis(boxing) – Muhammad Ali was one of the greatest boxing champions in history, his daughter Laila is carrying forward his legacy in boxing with an unbeaten streak of 24-0.2.The Lampard's (football) – Many people don’t know that Frank Lampard is also from a sporting family, his father Frank Lampard Sr. had a long and illustrious career for West Ham where he spent 20 years. Frank Lampard also started his career at West Ham and then went on to play for Chelsea where he attained legend status. He also turned out in City colours for a season before moving to MLS.Also read: Dhyan Chand: 10 interesting facts3.The Maldini's(football) – Cesare Maldini was a centre back who captained AC Milan and captured 4 Serie A titles. His son Paolo Maldini not only captained AC Milan but also Italy.4.The Rosberg’s( Formula One)- Keijo Erik Rosberg was the first Finnish driver to drive competitively in Formula one, he won the Championship in 1982. His son Nico Rosberg currently races for Mercedes in the Formula one. The Broads (cricket) – Chris Broad was an opening batsman for England and scored 6 centuries in 26 matches for England. His son Stuart Broad is a fast bowler who plays all three formats for England and is also the T20 captain.There is no dearth of Sporting Dynasties in the world and India also has their very own Sporting families despite other sports, not getting the same amount of importance as in other countries. Here’s a look at 10 Sporting families in India.
#10 Dhyan Singh and Roop Singh (Hockey):
Dhyan Chand is considered the greatest player to ever grace the sport of Hockey. Known as the Wizard of Hockey he is most remembered for his goal scoring feats, ball control and his three consecutive Olympic Gold medals with the Indian team. Dhyan Singh enrolled into the army at the age of 16, the hindi word “Chand” which means moon was the nickname given to him by his fellow players because he used to wait for the moon to come out and then practice.
Chand scored more than 400 during his career, including three goals each in all the Olympic finals. His brother Roop Singh was also an amazing player and was one of the best left flank players the game has seen. He had a lot of power in his shots and it is also said that Dhyan Chand asked him to control the power otherwise someone would get hurt. Roop Singh has a street named after him in Berlin after his awe invoking performances in the Berlin Olympics.
His best remembered performances are the 3 goals he scored against Japan and 10 goals against USA in the Los Angeles Olympics. Roop Singh was someone who lived in living in style and dressing well, there is this anecdote about him, where he was unwilling to leave for the Los Angeles Olympics because he did not have the right clothes for the occasion. Their father Subedar Sameshwar Dutt Singh was also a hockey player in the British army. Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar was also well known hockey player who was part of the Indian team which won the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.