The Indian National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29, every year. The Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated to commemorate hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand Singh’s birthday who was born on August 29, 1905. The day is also dedicated to our sports heroes and to honour their contribution to the country in general and to sports and entertainment in particular.
#nationalsportsday
National Sports Day in India History
National Sports Day was observed in India for the first time in 2012 to honour this legendary sportsman. Before this honour, Major Dhyan Chand was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956.
Who is Major Dhyan Chand?
Dhyan Chand Singh was born on August 29, 1905 in Allahabad. He went on to join the British Indian army at age 16 and began playing hockey. Eventually, he joined the Indian Army Team and also captained it at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Dhyan Chand helped his team win 3 gold medals at 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics at Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Berlin respectively.
National Sports Day in India Importance
The fundamental objective behind this celebration is to understand the importance of sports and physical activity in our lives for a healthy mind and healthy body.
Also, on this day, the nation honours its sportsmen who have made extraordinary achievements in their respective sport with awards such as:
- Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (earlier known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award)
- Arjuna Award
- Dronacharya Award
- Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar
Khel Ratna Award
The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has now been renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on August 6, 2021. It is the highest sporting honour conferred in India.
The award is conferred upon those sportsmen par excellence who have represented India at the international level over a period of 4 years. The prestigious award is accompanied by a cash prize of ₹25 lakh. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The awardees who were conferred this honour in 2020 were:
- Rohit Sharma
- Vinesh Phogat
- Manika Batra
- Rani Rampal
- Mariyappan Thangavelu
India at Tokyo Olympics 2020
The Tokyo Olympics were held between July 23, 2021 and August 8, 2021. This year, India has won a total of 7 medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Take a look at the table below to learn more.
| Medal | Sport | Awardee |
| Gold | Javelin Throw | Neeraj Chopra |
| Silver | Weight Lifting (Women’s 49kg) | Saikhom Mirabai Chanu |
| Silver | Men’s 57 kg Wrestling | Ravi Kum Dahiya |
| Bronze | Hockey | Indian Men’s Hockey Team |
| Bronze | Women’s Single Badminton | PV Sindhu |
| Bronze | Freestyle 65kg Wrestling | Bajrang Punia |
| Bronze | Women’s Welterweight Boxing | Lovlina Borgohain |
National Sports Day 2021
This year, we witnessed exemplary performances from our athletes at the Olympics. However, all the athletes had one common message to bring to the people. Most sports and therefore, sporting talent is neglected in our country. Not only is there a lack of viewership, there is also a lack of funding and training facilities. If we want to successively and progressively perform better at sports, especially international sports, we must support our budding sportspersons.
International Day of Sports
The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace is observed on April 6, every year. This is a United Nations-mandated holiday that has been in observance since 2013. Similar to the holiday in India, the day acknowledges the role and importance of sports and physical activity for us as societies and nations all over the world.
Tokyo Paralympics 2020
With the end of the Tokyo Olympics on August 8, 2021, the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 have begun. The gaming events are to be held between August 24 and September 5, 2021. Our athletes are performing exceptionally well. We wish them all the very best as we wait with bated breath for news on bagging some more medals.
Indian National Sports Day Trivia
- Dhyan Chand won gold medals in hockey for India at 3 successive Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
- At present, there are 2 sports awards named after Major Dhyan Chand, i.e., Dhyan Chand Award for Life-time Achievement in Sports and Games that was introduced in 2016. The other is Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna
- Neeraj Chopra has created history. He is the first track and field athlete to have won an Olympic gold medal for India.
- This year has marked India’s best-ever performance at the Olympic Games with 7 gold medals.
- After winning her bronze medal this year, P.V. Sindhu became the first Indian woman to win 2 individual medals at the Olympics.
- The United States finished with the highest number of medals, i.e., 113, at the Olympics this year.
- China and Japan finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
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