National Sports Day

India celebrates its National Sports Day every year on the 29th August. The day is celebrated to honor the legendary hockey player, Major Dhyan Chand Singh. 29th August happens to be the birth anniversary of Dhyan Chand, who made India proud by his extraordinary sporting skills. He was the greatest hockey player India has ever seen.

Dhyan Chand had joined the army at the early age and learnt the game of hockey from his coach Pankaj Gupta and soon became an expert in ball dribbling and goal scoring. He quickly became the Indian Hockey Team captain due to his excellent playing techniques and was given the nickname 'Chand' which means 'Moon'. During his sports career Dhyan Chand had won three Olympic medals and till date remains the only hockey player who has received the Padma Bhushan award. He had won the Olympic Gold medal six times in a row for India in hockey. His lifetime awards and achievements in sports are considered as the highest point in the history of Indian sports.

The National Sports Day is dedicated to the brilliant hockey player Dhyan Chand. This day is celebrated by organizing friendly matches between different Indian hockey teams at the Dhyan Chand National stadium in New Delhi which was constructed in the respect and honor of Major Dhyan Chand.

On this day, sports persons commemorate this day in a sportive way. The President of India Bestows prestigious awards such as the Arjuna and Dronacharya Award, Dhyan Chand Award, etc to the sports persons who have contributed to the growth of sports all through their sports career and also after retirement. A lot of schools throughout the country celebrate this day as their Annual Sports Day and young people are also encouraged and made aware of the possibilities in sports and what all advancement the country has obtained in sports.

Last Updated on June 19, 2019