ixambee

National Sports Day in India

The Indian National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29, every year. The Rashtriya Khel Divas is celebrated to commemorate hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand Singh’s birthday who was born on August 29, 1905. The day is also dedicated to our sports heroes and to honour their contribution to the country in general and to sports and entertainment in particular.

#nationalsportsday

National Sports Day in India History

National Sports Day was observed in India for the first time in 2012 to honour this legendary sportsman. Before this honour, Major Dhyan Chand was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1956. 

Who is Major Dhyan Chand?

Dhyan Chand Singh was born on August 29, 1905 in Allahabad. He went on to join the British Indian army at age 16 and began playing hockey. Eventually, he joined the Indian Army Team and also captained it at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Dhyan Chand helped his team win 3 gold medals at 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics at Amsterdam, Los Angeles and Berlin respectively. 

National Sports Day in India Importance 

The fundamental objective behind this celebration is to understand the importance of sports and physical activity in our lives for a healthy mind and healthy body. 

Also, on this day, the nation honours its sportsmen who have made extraordinary achievements in their respective sport with awards such as: 

  1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (earlier known as Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award)
  2. Arjuna Award 
  3. Dronacharya Award
  4. Major Dhyan Chand Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sports and Games
  5. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Trophy
  6. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar

Khel Ratna Award 

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has now been renamed to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award on August 6, 2021. It is the highest sporting honour conferred in India. 

The award is conferred upon those sportsmen par excellence who have represented India at the international level over a period of 4 years. The prestigious award is accompanied by a cash prize of ₹25 lakh. It is awarded annually by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. 

The awardees who were conferred this honour in 2020 were: 

India at Tokyo Olympics 2020

The Tokyo Olympics were held between July 23, 2021 and August 8, 2021. This year, India has won a total of 7 medals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. 

Take a look at the table below to learn more. 

MedalSportAwardee
GoldJavelin Throw Neeraj Chopra
SilverWeight Lifting (Women’s 49kg)Saikhom Mirabai Chanu
Silver Men’s 57 kg WrestlingRavi Kum Dahiya
BronzeHockeyIndian Men’s Hockey Team
BronzeWomen’s Single BadmintonPV Sindhu
BronzeFreestyle 65kg WrestlingBajrang Punia
BronzeWomen’s Welterweight BoxingLovlina Borgohain

National Sports Day 2021

This year, we witnessed exemplary performances from our athletes at the Olympics. However, all the athletes had one common message to bring to the people. Most sports and therefore, sporting talent is neglected in our country. Not only is there a lack of viewership, there is also a lack of funding and training facilities. If we want to successively and progressively perform better at sports, especially international sports, we must support our budding sportspersons. 

International Day of Sports

The International Day of Sports for Development and Peace is observed on April 6, every year. This is a United Nations-mandated holiday that has been in observance since 2013. Similar to the holiday in India, the day acknowledges the role and importance of sports and physical activity for us as societies and nations all over the world. 

Tokyo Paralympics 2020

With the end of the Tokyo Olympics on August 8, 2021, the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 have begun. The gaming events are to be held between August 24 and September 5, 2021. Our athletes are performing exceptionally well. We wish them all the very best as we wait with bated breath for news on bagging some more medals. 

Indian National Sports Day Trivia

We hope you found this article both interesting and informative. We also hope that you have learned a little something from it that will aid in your General Awareness preparation for exams like NABARD Grade A, NIACL AO, PFRDA Assistant Manager, SBI Clerk Mains, GIC AM and LIC AAO among others. 

Well, there is more where that came from. You can find several such blogs on ixamBee. Besides, you can also take a look at our BeePedia page where we constantly update information capsules with the latest news on all matters of current affairs. 

If you are preparing for any competitive exam, we have placed a number of online courses at your disposal. If you are still worried about which exam you should take or want to give some direction to your career, you can take a look at the upcoming exams. We hope it helps you make your mind up. Either way, we are sure you will excel at whatever it is that you set your eyes on. 

Team ixamBee wishes you the very best!

At ixamBee you can find a number of Online Courses, GK updates in the form of BeePedia, as well as latest updates for Bank PO, Bank Clerk, SSC, RBI, NABARD and Other Government Jobs.

Also read

List of Countries with their National Sports [Updated]

Famous Sports Personalities

List of Important Sports Stadiums in India

2021 Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Shri Award Winners List [Updated]

Exit mobile version