New Delhi: Opposition parties and Twitter users on Friday welcomed the decision of the central government to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sporting award, after legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. However, they were quick enough to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rechristen cricket stadiums that are named after himself and former union minister Arun Jaitely.
In February 2020, Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, the world's largest cricket stadium, was renamed after PM Modi, who was a president of the Gujarat Cricket Association. In September 2019, the Delhi and District Cricket Association had renamed the Feroz Shah Kotla as Arun Jaitley Stadium in memory of the late politician-cum-sports-administrator. Jaitley was the DDCA president for 14 years.
Also read: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna is now Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award
Randeep Singh Surjewala, national spokesperson of the Congress, tweeted in Hindi that now that the government has made a start (of renaming stadiums after legendary sportspersons), let the start be made better by renaming the Narendra Modi and Arun Jaitely Stadiums after India's towering sporting personalities.
Shankersinh Vaghela, former chief minister of Gujarat, tweeted, "As @narendramodi Govt renamed Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, I would like to request them to rename Narendra Modi Stadium to Sardar Patel Stadium again (sic)."
Also read: Why did BJP rename Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award?
Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan tweeted, "Absolutely welcome this move. Sportsman getting recognition and award being named after him or her. Hopefully start of many such things in sports. Hopefully in the future sports stadium names will be after sportsmen too."
In his career spanning from 1926 to 1949, Dhyan Chand won clinched Olympic medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936 and hence became widely popular as the wizard of hockey.
