The National Sports Day in India is celebrated every year on the 29th of August. It is a grand event that is dedicated to various sports to be played in the country. The National Sports Day is a day to promote sports in India and make the children participate in them for their physical and mental health. The National Sports Day is a very joyous and entertaining day for children.
National Sports Day 2020
Like other years, National Sports Day will be celebrated on 29 August in the year 2020. It is the Saturday of the week, and we hope for a grand celebration of the event.
Brief History
The National Sports Day is an important event of India launched by the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi in the year 2015. It was 29 August 2015 when the nation had celebrated its first National Sports Day.
The National Sports Day of India is celebrated in commemoration of the greatest Indian hockey player Major Dhyanchand. Major Dhyanchand was born on 29 August 1905. After his skill in hockey, he was globally known as a ‘Hockey Wizard’. He was called the Major because he had served in the British Indian Army and also in the Indian Army after the independence of India in 1947. The world can never forget such a great Indian hockey player. In his respect, the Government of India decided to celebrate his birth anniversary as the ‘National Sports Day’ of India since 2015.
Major Dhyanchand’s skill in hockey fetched Gold Medal for India three times in Olympics. He had also received the great civilian award ‘Padma Bhushan’, and an award has also been started as a tribute to him known as ‘Major Dhyanchand Award’.
Ways of Celebration/Activities
The National Sports Day of India is celebrated with great zeal, and Indian players dedicate this day to the real Indian hero Major Dhyanchand.
The first and foremost event of the day as a celebration of the occasion is the distribution of various sports awards by the government of India. These awards include Arjun Award, Major Dhyanchand Award, Dronacharya Award, and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, etc.
Many Institutes, organizations, and other educational institutions organize a sports tournament on the day. They also award and reward the players on the basis of their performances. Even, the players or team which participated but didn’t win also receives awards because of their participation and utmost effort.
The student and also some prominent guests deliver speeches on the importance of sports in our lives. Through these speeches, the guest wants to motivate children to participate in games for their physical and mental growth.
The National Sports Day is a very great day for the athletes of India. They are awarded by the government and many other organizations. Even they are called for interviews by many news agencies and other platforms. The reason behind it is to inspire the young generations through their life and struggles.
The National Sports Day is like a festival for the sports academy of India. In these sports academy, the players and their coach, decorate their institute or stadium and place a photo of Major Dhyanchand in the centre. In the Hockey Institutes, players regard Major Dhyanchand as their coach and practice in front of their photo all day.
Objectives and Significance
The objective of National Sports Day of India is to inspire the youth of the nation to participate in various sports and prove their ability in the respective field. Sports play a very important role in our life, and they are a source of global fame now a day.
Since there have not been any Indian hockey players like Major Dhyanchand, we celebrate the day as a tribute to the hockey wizard. Through celebrating the event, we pledge to never forget him and follow his strategies throughout our life.
Along with making people aware of the benefits of Sports, it is a great day to honour the Indian prodigies who are making India stand on the global platforms in sports. Because on this day, the players of India are honoured by the government in various sports, this aspect makes this day even more important.
Because of starting the National Sports Day of India, sports are now given more value than before. Now the people again remember the great legacy of India Major Dhyanchand.
5 Years of National Sports Day
The National Sports Day of India was started in the year 2015. Since then, there has been a significant improvement in Indian sport. The participation of India in the various global sporting events like the Olympics and the Paralympics etc have proved that the National Sports Day is not less than an inspiration for the children who have a desire to play.
It was a great honour for India that its 117 players had participated in 15 different sports in the Summer Olympics 2016. Since then, India has brought Gold and Silver medals in various sports and has waved the flag of India on the top of the world. There are many other sporting events where India performed exceptionally well, like Asian Games. There was some influence of National Sports Day on these achievements.
Voice of Youths on National Sports Day
The National Sports Day is not less than a day of honour for all of us. We all can have some contributions in making it a nationwide grand celebration.
- We should never stop someone, especially our younger, from playing any sports.
- Motivating someone to play better with every moment would be a great step to help one in achieving his/her dreams.
- Whether it is a boy or a girl, we should never put any obstacle in their sporting career.
- Supporting someone to play better can bring him much confidence to perform excellently in his/her sports.
- The Government of India has launched many schemes to support Indian sports players. We should tell them about those schemes and help them in availing of their benefits.
- If someone has a passion for some sports, but he can’t play because of a lack of money and resources, we can arrange it for him.
- If someone in our neighbour or family plays some sports but loses, we should support him and encourage him to play much better.
National Sports Day in Other Countries
Since the National Sports Day of India is celebrated on 29 August every year, other countries of the world have different dates for the same event to be observed. Some of them are as follows:
- United States of America – 16 October
- Japan – On the 2nd Monday of October
- Iran – 17 October
- Malaysia – On the 2nd Saturday of October
- Qatar – On the 2nd Tuesday of February
Conclusion
The National Sports Day of India is a day of honour for those who are associated with some sports and also for those who are not associated with any sports. Supporting and cheering up for one that is representing India on a global platform is itself a matter of pride despite he/she wins or loses. Every sports lover and player should be supported by the family, society, and nation.