National Sports Day (India)
Next: August 29, 2027
A hockey wizard's birthday.
The story
Where it comes from
India's National Sports Day falls on 29 August, the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand, the hockey player known as 'The Wizard'. Born in Allahabad in 1905, he was the star of the Indian team that won three Olympic gold medals in a row, in 1928, 1932 and 1936, and he played international hockey for more than two decades. He retired from the Indian Army as a major in 1956, the same year he received the Padma Bhushan. The day honours him and celebrates the joy of sport.
How it's celebrated
The day is an occasion for the national sports awards, presented by the President of India, among them the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, the country's highest sporting honour, and the Arjuna Award. Schools, colleges and sports bodies hold matches, runs and fitness events, and people across the country are encouraged to get out onto the playing field.
Did you know
- He was born Dhyan Singh.
- India's highest sporting honour, the Khel Ratna, was renamed after him in 2021.
- The National Stadium in New Delhi was renamed the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in 2002.
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