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  • 29 August, 2022

  • 5 Min Read

National Sports Day 2022 UPSC

National Sports Day 2022

Image Source - Career India

Every year on August 29th, India commemorates National Sports Day or Rashtriya Khel Divas in honour of hockey great Major Dhyan Chand, who was born on this day in 1905.

Key Points

  • India's National Sports Day was established in 2012, and it was first observed that year.
  • The country honours its sporting heroes on this day.
  • The Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award, and Dhyan Chand Awards are among the sports honours that the president presents on this occasion.

Significance:

  • The main goal of National Sports Day is to raise public awareness of the importance of sports and physical activity in daily life.
  • To spread the word about the importance of National Sports Day, the Indian government organizes a variety of events, programs, seminars, and other activities.

Who was Major Dhyan Chand?

  • Major Dhyan Chand Singh, the finest hockey player to ever represent India and widely referred to as the "Wizard of Hockey," was born on August 29, 1905, in what is now Praygraj, Uttar Pradesh.
  • He competed for India as a centre forward at three Olympic Games, winning gold medals while serving as captain in Berlin in 1936, Los Angeles in 1932, and Amsterdam in 1928.
  • He travelled to New Zealand in 1926 as a member of the first Indian overseas army team.
  • Between 1926 and 1948, Major Dhyan Chand scored approximately 1,000 goals throughout his whole career, including more than 400 goals on the international stage.
  • In an effort to honour such a renowned athlete, the Indian government chose to designate his birthday as National Sports Day in 2012.
  • The third-highest civilian honour in India, the Padma Bhushan Award, was given to him in 1956 before receiving this recognition.
  • He passed away on December 3rd, 1979, in Delhi after falling into a coma.

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