Hyderabad: Different countries celebrate their National Sports Day on dates as per their own convenience. The National Sports Day in India which is also called the Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated on 29th August every year with a lot of enthusiasm and sportsmanship.
The day generally spreads awareness about the role sports play in an individual's life. Further, on this day, various talent hunts are conducted to identify future stars.
The history of India's National Sports Day dates back to 29th of August, 1905 when a future Olympian named Dhyan Chand was born in a family in the Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh. He is often considered as the greatest hockey players in the history of sports. He had been three-time Olympic gold medallist winning the coveted medal in the year 1928, 1932 and 1936.
Why is National Sports Day Celebrated?
The significance of National Sports Day is to celebrate the spirit of sports and games countrywide. The celebration is meant to attract the attention of masses towards sports and encourage them to take up sports. Such events give recognition and employment to youth and arise awareness of performances of Indian sportspersons in different championships.
The sports fans, as well as the other citizens in the country, recognize the work of different sportspersons, and in the reminiscence of the greatest of all of them, this day is celebrated with much excitement.
The main aim of National Sports Day is to raise awareness about the importance of sports and drive home the attention of people to comprehend its advantages on the human body. The National Sports Day endorses healthy lifestyle and puts stress on the sports committee's agenda on giving as many people as possible the reach to sports.
How is National Sports Day Celebrated?
National Sports Day is celebrated in academic institutions and sports institutions all over the world. Celebrations for National Sports Day are more common in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in India due to most sportspersons hailing from these states.
In Covid-19 time, the process to pick this year's national sports awards has been delayed because of the pandemic situation. The ministry generally invites the nominations for the awards in April while the ceremony to confer them is held on August 29 on.
But the Covid-19 pandemic has brought all sporting activities to a standstill not just in India but across the world. The Indian Sports Ministry on August announced the list of athletes who will be conferred with the National Sports Awards.
The Justice (retd) Mukundakam Sharma-led selection panel had recommended 29 names for the Arjuna Award to the Sports Ministry. The awards will be held virtually on August 29, instead of the Rashtrapati Bhavan this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
