National Sports Day 2024: Date, History And Significance

National Sports Day is observed on August 29 every year. Sports are an integral part of life. These activities are not only fun to play but also improve our health and physical fitness. Playing a sport is a great exercise. Some of these offer you the benefits of a complete workout. The day highlights the importance of sports and physical activities for overall health. National Sports Day was first celebrated in 2012.

History

This day marks the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, who was born in 1905, in a Rajput family in Allahabad. Dhyan Chand had followed the footsteps of his father and joined the Army. It was in the Army where Dhyan Chand took up hockey. The hockey wizard brought various laurels to the nation and was part of the Indian hockey team which struck gold in the Olympics of 1928, 1932, and 1936. He scored more than 400 goals in his career which spanned over 22 years.

Dhyan Chand led the team with three goals in the 1936 Berlin Olympic final, which they won 8-1 against Germany. The game represented the height of India's hockey achievements under Dhyan Chand's leadership.

Even after retiring, he continued to make contributions to the game. He taught at several coaching camps in Rajasthan in addition to serving as head coach at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala.

Significance

On National Sports Day every year, the president of India gives out all the sports-related awards like the Arjuna Award, Dronacharya Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to honour sportspersons and coaches who have made the nation proud in their respective sport.

The Khelo India movement, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated in 2018, is one of the sporting initiatives that the government has launched on this day over the years.

Celebrations

Different tournaments are held all across the nation on this day. Several colleges, schools, and offices organise seminars and sporting events to shed light on the importance of the day. Here is a list of activities you can play to celebrate National Sports Day:

Outdoor Sports- Hockey, tennis, cricket, football, kho-kho, running
Indoor Sports- Chess, carrom, table tennis, gymnastics, yoga