The National Sports Day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s legendary hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand Singh.
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The National Sports Day oversees major celebrations on the 29th of August across various cities in India. India has produced many sporting legends like Sachin Tendulkar, PT Usha, Milkha Singh, and so on. However, this day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of another legendary athlete, Major Dhyan Chand Singh. Here is everything that you need to know about National Sports Day and how it is being celebrated this year.
National Sports Day is celebrated every year on 29th August in India. It was first incorporated into India’s calendar of national celebrations in 2012.
The National Sports Day is observed to commemorate the birth anniversary of India’s legendary hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand Singh.
Major Dhyan Chand Singh is popularly known as the ‘Hockey Wizard’ or ‘The Magician’. Dhyan Singh was born in Prayagraj in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh on August 29, 1905. He became a well-known figure in India before its independence. He played an instrumental role in guiding India to win their first hat-trick of gold medals in the Olympics with victories in 1928, 1932, and 1936 Olympics.
Dhyan Singh was in the British Indian Army and spent most of his day time performing military duties. As a result of which, he practiced hockey during the night under the light of the moon. Due to this, he got himself the name of Dhyan Chand by his peers. (In Hindi, Chand means moon.) The hockey icon represented India in 185 games from 1926 to 1948, scoring more than 400 goals in the process. He finished his career as one of the greatest players in the history of Field Hockey.
The main goal of National Sports Day is to raise awareness about the value of playing sports and games and staying physically active in everyday life.
On the occasion of National Sports Day, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) will host the “Meet the Champion” initiative at 26 schools throughout the nation as part of the Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) celebration of the initiative by PM Narendra Modi. Athletes who won medals at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and World Championships will mark their presence in different schools and share their life experiences, provide tips on fitness, and so on. A few of these sportspersons include Nikhat Zareen, Manpreet Singh, Bhavina Patel and Murali Sreeshankar. “Meet the Champion” is an innovative school visit program started by Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra in December last year.
The Sports Authority of India will celebrate this year’s National Sports Day with pan-Indian sporting events under the theme “Sports as an enabler for an inclusive and fit society” as part of the FIT INDIA program. Numerous levels of sporting events are planned, including amateur, recreational, and professional competitions between individuals of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.
