In India, August 29th is celebrated as the National Sports Day. This is celebrated every year since 2012 in order to commemorate the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand Singh, a hockey legend who put Indian hockey on the map. This day is also about celebrating the contribution of athletes to shaping Indian society. This year marked 12th year anniversary of the Rashtriya Khel Divas.
Who Was Major Dhyan Chand Singh?
Born on the 29th of August 1905 in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Major D.C. Singh started his career with the British Indian Army. He served in the Army from the year 1926 to 1948. However, he was meant to be greater than what he started out as and ended his career with 400 goals across 185 matches. In fact, Major Dhyan Chand Singh was the sole reason why India won three consecutive Olympic Hockey golds in the years 1928, 1932, and 1936.
Therefore, recognizing his efforts toward Indian hockey, the Indian government recognized his birth anniversary as National Sports Day back in the year 2012. This move was meant to be a positive move towards cultivating more sporting talents and fitness in the country.
The Significance
The Indian government believes that National Sports Day encourages people of all ages and classes to embrace fitness. This is the latest move by the government to help cultivate sporting talents that are hidden in the different corners of the country. It also helps in creating awareness in society about the need for sports in a child’s upbringing.
Hence creating a conducive environment for people who want to pursue sports as a full-time career. This day is also a reminder of the fact of how much India has progressed since its break from colonialism and how much it still aims to achieve. For more such sports-related content, keep following our page.
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