PM Narendra Modi remembered Major Dhyanchand on the occasion of National Sports Day

Today is the 115th birthday of Indian legend Major Dhyanchand, a wizard of hockey. On this occasion, his son Ashok Kumar said that there has always been a demand to give Bharat Ratna to Dhyanchand. This is not our demand but the general public’s demand.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also remembered him on the occasion of Major Dhyanchand’s birthday. He said that the magic of Major Dhyanchand’s hockey will never be forgotten.

Today, on #NationalSportsDay, we pay tributes to Major Dhyan Chand, whose magic with the hockey stick can never be forgotten.

This is also a day to laud the outstanding support given by the families, coaches and support staff towards the success of our talented athletes.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 29, 2020

Sir Dhyanchand was a great hockey player, he has brightened the name of hockey all over the world with his performance of the game and in history has inscribed his name in golden letters named Dhyanchand. He was such a player that he could score goals from any angle. Because of his ability, he is also called a hockey wizard around the world.

At the age of 23, Dhyanchand was selected as a member of the first Indian team in the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, scoring 23 goals in four matches played by the Indian team and achieved the gold medal. Dhyanchand was made the captain in the 1932 World Olympics.

In the match held on 15 August 1936, India defeated Germany 8–1 and won the gold medal. Hitler of Germany also watched this match and when the game was over, he expressed his desire to meet with him to praise him.

In 1932, the Indian team played 37 matches and scored 338 goals, out of which 133 were done by Dhyanchand alone. When he retired from Army at the age of 43 in 1948, the same year the Government of India honored him with Padma Bhushan. We celebrate his birthday on 29th August as National Sports Day.

Sir Dhyanchand’s grip on the ball was unmatched, so he was called ‘The Wizard of Indian Hockey’. Sir Dhyanchand scored over 400 goals in his international career. He played his last international match in 1948. Sports Minister Kiran Rijiju also shared the video in Sir Dhyanchand’s honor.

Today is #NationalSportsDay and I pay my tribute to the 'The Wizard of Indian Hockey' Major Dhyan Chand on his Birth Anniversary. The great sportsman displayed unparalleled dedication and skills in Hockey to bring accolades and honour to India 🇮🇳 #MajorDhyanChand pic.twitter.com/ByCzcUgS4Y

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) August 29, 2020

On this day, the National Awards such as Arjuna and Dronacharya Awards are given to players for their outstanding performance. Dhyanchand was declared the player of the century by the Indian Olympic Association. At present, Bharat Ratna is also being demanded for Dhyanchand. Controversy is still going on in the name of Dhyanchand regarding Bharat Ratna.