National Sports Day is celebrated annually in India on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.
The National Sports Day was included in the list of celebratory days in India for the first time in 2012.
Dhyan Chand’s name is synonymous with excellence and unparalleled skill in the world of sports. His remarkable feats on the hockey field, marked by impeccable ball control and astonishing goal-scoring ability, earned him the moniker “The Wizard” and elevated India to new heights on the global sporting stage.
He played a crucial role in India’s successful Olympic gold medal tally at the 1928, 1932, and 1936 Summer Olympics.
Born in Prayagraj (earlier Allahabad) in Uttar Pradesh on August 29, 1905, Dhyan Chand rose to prominence in the pre-independence period.
A file photo of India’s centre-forward and hockey wizard Dhyan Chand who participated in three Olympics which India won ( 1928 - Amsterdam, 1932 - Los Angeles and 1936 - Berlin, in which he was captain). | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
The hockey legend’s career spanned from 1926 to 1948, during which he played 185 matches for India and scored over 400 goals, solidifying his place as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. After retiring as a Major in the Indian Army’s Punjab Regiment in 1956, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, by the government in the same year.
He passed away on December 3, 1979. The National Sports Awards, which recognise an athlete’s contributions, are also conferred on the National Sports Day. The highest sporting honour is the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, renamed from the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna.
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