National Sports Day is celebrated in India on August 29, the birthday of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. The day was designated as India’s National Sports Day in 2012. Major Dhyan Chand was a hockey legend in India and abroad. With victories at the Summer Olympics in 1928, 1932, and 1936, he was instrumental in securing India’s first Olympic gold medals in three consecutive years. Dhyan was so devoted to his craft that he used to practise hockey at night after completing his daytime responsibilities, garnering him the moniker Dhyan ‘Chand’.
The background of National Sports Day
Many consider Major Dhyan Chand, a hockey player, to be the finest hockey player ever. Dhyan Chand was born to a Kushwaha Rajput family on August 29, 1905, in Allahabad, India. He was Sharadha and Rameshwar Singh’s offspring. The two siblings of Dhyan Chand were Mool Singh and Roop Singh. Also a hockey player, the latter was a member of the Indian hockey team that earned gold medals at the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games. In the British Indian Army, where he served, Chand’s father was a member of the hockey team. Chand was renowned for his exceptional ball control and goal-scoring skills. From 1928 to 1964, India won the hockey competition at seven of the eight Olympic Games, demonstrating his influence beyond these victories.
According to his memoirs, Chand played domestically and internationally from 1926 to 1949, scoring 570 goals in 185 matches. In 1956, he retired from the army with the rank of major, and in the same year, he was awarded India’s third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan.
In 2012, India established National Sports Day to commemorate his birthday. The purpose of the event is to honour the sporting icon and raise awareness about the significance of athletics in everyday life, with an emphasis on fitness and health. On this day, the President of India bestows the Khel Ratna, Arjuna Awards, Dronacharya Awards, and Dhoan Chand Awards upon renowned sports figures. The death of Dhyan Chand occurred on December 3, 1979.
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National Sporting Day Events
Create your own group
Gather your friends to support on your favourite team. You can even form your own team outside. Enjoying the difficulty and physical activity will be worthwhile regardless of your proficiency level.
Explore Dhyan Chand
Dhyan Chand is one of the all-time finest hockey players. Learn about his upbringing, his forays into multiple disciplines, and his many achievements.
Share images of your team’s uniform
Share with your friends and family a photograph of you donning your favourite sports shirts. Include #NationalSportsDay in your image captions as well.
5 FACTS REGARDING SPORTS
In conjunction with the white background, the Olympic rings represent the flags of each nation participating in that year’s event.
After football, hockey is the second most popular sport in the globe.
Dhyan Chand is commonly referred to as the Muhammad Ali of hockey.
Nearly 8,000 sports are enumerated in the “World Sports Encyclopaedia.”
In Greece, around 776 B.C., wrestling presumably originated as the first sport in its modern form.
NATIONAL SPORTS DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | August 29 | Tuesday |
| 2024 | August 29 | Thursday |
| 2025 | August 29 | Friday |
| 2026 | August 29 | Saturday |
| 2027 | August 29 | Sunday |
