Published 09:45 IST, August 29th 2020
National Sports Day: Amit Shah salutes sportspersons, lauds PM's Khelo India Initiative
On National Sports Day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to salute all the sportsperson for making the country proud with their passion & hard work
- India News
- 3 min read
On the ocaasion of National Sports Day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took to Twitter to salute all the sportsperson for making the country proud with their passion and hard work. The union minister also lauded PM Narendra Modi's sports initiatives like Khelo India and Fit India to promote sports in the country and nurture budding talent.
'I salute all our sportsperson'
Taking to Twitter the Home Minister wrote, "On #NationalSportsDay, I salute all our sportsperson who have been making India proud through their passion & hard-work. Modi govt is committed and playing an instrumental role in promoting sports and nurturing the young talent through initiatives like Khelo India & Fit India" (sic).
National Sports day is celebrated every year on August 29. It is celebrated on the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand. Shah also paid tribute to the 'The Wizard of Indian Hockey' Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary
National Sports Day
National Sports Day, also known as Rashtriya Khel Divas, is celebrated on August 29 every year in India on the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand. It was first celebrated in the year 2012 and since then it is being observed every year. This day is celebrated to honour Major Dhyan Chand's achievements in hockey who won several medals at the international stage and brought laurels to the country. He is considered as India's greatest hockey player.
Major Dhyan Chand also led India to 3 Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and in 1936. The hockey wizard has scored more than 400 goals for India, in his more than 20 years long career. He was awarded India's third highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1956 by the Government of India. Every year the National Sports Day holds a special place for all sports enthusiasts as it is celebrated to honour the spirit of sportsmanship of various sports.
Significance of National Sports Day
The main reason for celebrating National Sports Day is to highlight and spread awareness about the importance of sports and staying fit in daily life. Since 2012, the government has used this day to announce several sports-related schemes which also include the Khelo India movement. It was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
On this day the President of India also honours several sports personalities with some of India’s prestigious sporting awards like Khel Ratna, Dronacharya Awards, Arjuna Awards and also the Dhyan Chand Award. Dhyan Chand Award recognises the lifetime contribution of an athlete in his/her field. This year, the award ceremony will be held virtually for the first time because of the coronavirus pandemic situation in India. President Ram Nath Kovind will be presenting the winners with awards virtually
Updated 09:45 IST, August 29th 2020