India celebrates the National Sports Day on August 29 of every year. The reason being notably the birth anniversary of one of India's most iconic hockey players and also an legendary sports player - Major Dhyan Chand. (More Sports News)
The National Sports Day is not only celebrated to commemorate his birth anniversary but it also puts greater emphasis on sports and physical activities in one's daily life.
Major Dhyan Chand also known as the 'The Wizard of Hockey', was born on August 29, 1905. His skills and ability to play hockey became famous the world-over and Dhyan Chand went down as one of the greatest ever hockey player ever to play the sport.
Major Dhyan Chand went on to win three Olympic gold medals for India in 1928, 1932 and 1936. His knack of scoring goals and ball control earned him a legendary status in the world of sports.
Such was his artistry, the Olympics website described him as, "Star of the Indian hockey team that dominated the sport in the years before World War II, Dhyan Singh played an important role in helping India complete their first hat-trick of Olympic gold medals with wins at the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Summer Olympics.”
'Major' started playing hockey in 1926 and his career spanned till 1948. He represented India in 185 games and scored a massive 400 goals during his career.
It was in 2012 that the Indian government decided to call it as 'National Sports Day'.
The theme for this year is 'Sport for Promotion of Peaceful and Inclusive Societies'. It emphasizes how one can solidify social bonds, faster unity and support inclusivity. Furthermore, it highlights the role of athletics in bringing people together from various backgrounds and living a harmonious and inclusive community.
