New Delhi: Every year on 29th August, India celebrates National Sports Day. Sports are an integral part of our life and these activities are not only fun to play but also improve our physical fitness and health. Some sporting activities offer many benefits to the human body. The National Sports Day was first celebrated in 2012.
Why National Sports Day is celebrated?
National Sports Day honours the Birth anniversary of one of the legendary hockey players, Major Dhyan Chand. The National Sports Day not only celebrates his birth anniversary but also puts greater importance on sports and physical activities in daily life.
Major Dhyan Chand was born on August 29, 1905, and was known as the ‘The Wizard of Hockey’. His ability and skill to play hockey became famous all around the world and he went down as one of the greatest ever hockey player to play the sport. He started playing hockey in 1926 and his career spanned till 1948. He played 185 games for India and scored 400 goals during his career.
Dhyan Singh played an important role for Team India and helped the country to win Olympic gold medals at the 1928 and 1932 Summer Olympics. He also scored three goals for the country in the 1936 Berlin Olympic final, which India won 8-1 against Germany. The game marked India’s success in hockey under Dhyan Chand’s leadership.
He continued to make contributions to the game even after announcing his retirement. He served as the head coach at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala and also taught at many coaching camps in Rajasthan.
Many Indian states organise various sporting events and seminars to spread awareness about the importance of physical activities and sports in life. The Indian government also used this day as a platform to launch various sports schemes in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Khelo India Games on this day in 2018.
National Sports Day is celebrated in India annually on August 29th. Here is all you need to know about the importance of the day. Other Sports Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
