In the present times, cricket is the most dominant sport in the country, and much of it is due to the success of the country in the past 35 years. Ever since Kapil Dev lifted the 1983 Cricket World Cup in England, cricket has become the sport which brought smile on the faces of the people, who ended up making the cricketers 'Demi-Gods'.

But very few know that when cricket was not even in the picture, India was winning medals and trophies left and right in Hockey, considered over the years as the official 'national sport of India'.

And there was one, who led the country from the front, and is arguably the greatest sportsperson India has ever produced. Called by many as 'The Magician' and 'The Wizard', Major Dhyan Chand was the 'Kohinoor' of Indian hockey, someone who changed the face of the sport.

Born on August 29, 1905, Dhyan Chand was not destined for such legendary stature in hockey, though, life had different vision for him. At the age of 16, he joined the British-Indian army (when India were under British rule), and that's where the sport gained prominence in his life.

After putting some sensational performances for the Army Hockey team, he stepped up the ladder to represent country on the international arena. After the sport was reintroduced in Olympics, Dhyan Chand made his mark in the very first edition. He spearheaded an Indian team which won its first ever Gold medal, scoring 14 goals at the 1928 Amsterdam Summer Olympics.

He didn't stop there, and helped India retain their medal in the 1932 Olympics, scoring eight goals as India defeated USA 20-1 in the final. Dhyan Chand, along with his brother Roop Singh, scored 25 out of India's 35 goals in the tournament.

Till this point, Dhyan Chand was a great player. But after the 1936 Berlin Olympics, he became the greatest ever. 'The Wizard' had yet another amazing tournament, and scored three goals in the final as India defeated Germany 8-1 at their own turf. Following such displays, his stature became invincible, so much so that reportedly, Adolf Hitler offered him a high level position in the German Army.

India honored arguably it's finest sportsperson by conferring him with the Padma Bhushan in 1951, and named the 'National Sports Day' on his birthday.

And on Wednesday, the country celebrated the 113th birth anniversary of the legend. On this auspicious day, many people within the country paid their tributes to 'The Wizard'. Leading the way was Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. He posted a message on Twitter, which read, "Today, we commemorate Major Dhyan Chand's Birth Anniversary as #NationalSportsDay. Let us give our tributes to one of India's greatest sports icons by inculcating sports as part of our lifestyle."

Today, we commemorate Major Dhyan Chand's Birth Anniversary as #NationalSportsDay. Let us give our tributes to one of India's greatest sports icons by inculcating sports as part of our lifestyle. pic.twitter.com/fOcMqHRejZ — Rajyavardhan Rathore (@Ra_THORe) August 29, 2018

Sachin Tendulkar, India's best ever in cricket, had a heartwarming message for Dhyan Chand on this occasion. His message read, "I've heard stories about #MajorDhyanChand practising Hockey under a moonlit sky as there were no floodlights in those days. He did what it took to fulfil his dream. That's what I call commitment. Remembering him on his 113th birth anniversary #NationalSportsDay #SportPLAYINGIndia"

I've heard stories about #MajorDhyanChand practising Hockey under a moonlit sky as there were no floodlights in those days. He did what it took to fulfil his dream. That's what I call commitment. Remembering him on his 113th birth anniversary #NationalSportsDay #SportPLAYINGIndia pic.twitter.com/O8aQc3UhEc — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) August 29, 2018

'Nawab of Najfgarh', Virender Sehwag messaged, "After India’s 1st match at 1936 Olympics,ppl watching other sports filled hockey stadiums .A German newspaper headline read-The Olympic complex now has a magic show too.'Berlin had posters:”Visit hockey stadium to watch the Indian magician Dhyan Chand in action #NationalSportsDay"