National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August on the birth anniversary of the great hockey player Major Dhyan Chand. To pay respect to India’s great and timeless hockey player ‘Major Dhyan Chand Singh’, who is known worldwide as the ‘Hockey Magician’ and won gold medal for India in the Olympic Games, his birthday, 29 August, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India every year.
On this day, the President of India honours outstanding sportspersons with National Sports Awards at Rashtrapati Bhavan for their special contribution in sports, which include Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Dhyan Chand Award and Dronacharya Award, besides Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, Arjuna Award.
On this occasion, along with the players, the coaches who have honed their talent are also felicitated. Apart from this, almost all Indian schools and educational institutions organize their annual sports function on the day of ‘National Sports Day’. This day is celebrated with great pomp in Punjab and Chandigarh.
