National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August every year to commemorate the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
National Sports Day 2021: It is observed on 29 August every year to commemorate the birthday of Indian hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Born on 29 August 1905 in present-day Prayagraj, UP, Major Dhyan Chand was the captain of the Gold medal-winning Indian hockey team at the Berlin Olympics in 1936.
National Sports Day is celebrated extensively at the national level. It is organized every year in the Rashtrapati Bhavan and the President of India presents National Sports Awards to the outstanding players of the country. In 2020, the awards were presented virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Widely known as ‘Wizard of Hockey’, the greatest hockey player of India, Major Dhyan Chand Singh, was born on 29 August 1905 in present-day Praygraj, UP. After getting a basic education, Dhyan Chand joined the Indian army as a soldier in 1922.
Due to his outstanding performance in Hockey, Dhyan Chand was appointed as ‘Lance Naik’ in 1927 and was promoted to Nayak in 1932, and Subedar in 1936. The same year he Captained the Indian hockey team.
Major Dhyan Chand had scored more than 400 international goals in his career from 1926 to 1948 while scoring nearly 1,000 goals In his entire career. In a bid to pay tribute to such a legendary player, the Government of India decided to celebrate his birthday as the National Sports Day in 2012.
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