29th August, National Sports Day

pic courtsey: Punjab Kesari

                                                                                                                                                                                             National Sports Day is observed annually on August  29th in India, National Sports Day is a day which celebrates and honors the birthday of Dhyan Chand – a field hockey player who is considered by many to be the best of all time.

                    Dhyan Singh was born to mother Sharadha Singh and father Sameshwar Singh on August 29th, 1905 in Allahabad, Kushwaha. His father served in the British Indian Army and in his spare time, he played field hockey – which is probably where Dhyan Chand got his talent. As a young boy, he didn’t have an inclination towards hockey but that changed when he joined the British Indian Army at the age of 16. Once there, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and practice the sport. He would wait for the moon to come out to practice, however, as there were no electric floodlights at the time. This prompted his teammates to give him the name “Chand”, a name which means the moon. That is how he became known as Dhyan Chand. 

                   In a bid to urge people to adopt a more healthy and fit lifestyle, PM Modi will launch the Fit India Movement on DhyanChand's 114th birth anniversary in an event which will be hosted at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi.