Hyderabad: National Sports Day which is also known as the Rashtriya Khel Divas is observed on 29th August every year to commemorate the birthday of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand Singh. The year 2019 is the 115th birth anniversary of hockey wizard Dhyan Chand.
The Government of India first introduced the idea of National Sports Day in 2012. Since then it has been the centre of attraction for passionate sports fans of the country.
The idea of National Sports Day was conceived in a bid to celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship and to propagate the message of the benefits of playing sports. In a nutshell, National Sports Day is an occasion to take a pledge to build India an active sports playing nation from a passive sports-loving country.
States like Punjab and Haryana are forebearer in promoting sports in the country off late. These two states celebrate Dhyan Chand's birth anniversary with much flair. Both Punjab and Haryana organise many sporting events such as kabaddi, marathon, wrestling, boxing, basketball, tennis, football and cricket throughout the day. They also run talent hunt programmes to find out future stars.
Here is all you need to know about National Sports Day
- National Sports Day is dedicated to hockey legend Dhyan Chand.
- The theme of National Sports Day 2019 is Fit India, Young India.
- Dhyan Chand was born on 29 August 1905 in Prayagraj (then Allahabad).
- Sportspersons who make India proud confer with awards on this day.
- After primary schooling, Dhyan Chand joined the army as a soldier at 16.
- First Brahmin Regiment's Dhyan Chand had no particular interest in hockey.
- It was army's Subedar-Major Bale Tiwari who first spotted Dhyan Chand's hockey skills.
- Dhyan Chand represented India in three Olympic Games. Dhyan Chand Singh won India three Olympic gold medals.
- Before World War II, Dhyan Chand won India 1st Olympic gold in 1928.
- He won two more gold medals for India in 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games.
- In the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Dhyan Chand refused to salute German dictator Adolf Hitler.
- During a match in Holland, his hockey stick was broken to see if it had a magnet infused.
- In 1956, Dhyan Chand was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award.
- On this day athletes and their coaches are honoured with Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, Dhyanchand and Dronacharya Awards.
- Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy, Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskan are also included in this list.
