As senior citizen and retired Professor, still games and sports are my favorite as I played hockey at national level. Subsequently, when I joined in college in teaching faculty later on as academician in an academic Institute of the Government of India, I used to play few games and also sprinter. Even in Eritrea (African country) while I was in university level teaching, I used to play volleyball with students. I am informing here about me with the objective of motivating our youths, students, researchers, academicians and others to continue study vis-à-vis games and sports as liked by individual.
The Government of India was not shy to encourage games and sports and rightly decided to celebrate National Sports Day since 2012 and specifically on 29 August as on 29 August 1905, a great personality and legendary figure in hockey, Dhyan Chand was born in Allahabad. At young age, Dhyan Chand, joined the British Indian army and was a great sports person. He was instrumental in India’s hat-trick of gold medals in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics and known as ‘the magician or the wizard of hockey’, mainly because of his skills with the hockey stick. According to a report, Dhyan Chand played internationally from 1926 to 1949 and scored 570 goals in 185 matches.
According to him, his best match was the Beighton Cup final in 1933held in then Calcutta now Kolkata and his team, the Jhansi Heroes, won the Beighton Cup. In his own words, “If anybody asked me which was the best match that I played, I will unhesitatingly say that it was the 1933 Beighton Cup final between Calcutta Customs and Jhansi Heroes.
Calcutta Customs was a great side in those days….……It was a great match, full of thrills, and it was just opportunism that gave us the victory”. In 1956, the Government of India awarded him Padma Bhushan. And in 1980, the Government of India has issued a commemorative postage stamp.
On occasion of his birthday on 29/8/2020, PM Modi ji tweeted “on National Sports Day, 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.”
Also our Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju ji, tweeted, “Today (29/8/2020) is National Sports Day 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 honor to India.”
He although had passed away on 3 December 1979, but he is still in our heart and also will be in the heart of all generations together.
Sir, your write-up is informative and inspirational. Online games cannot substitute the importance of actual games, in terms of sound mental and physical health, building up of a healthy society. Regards. Dr. Gautam Purkayastha. Associate Professor of Economics Margherita College. Assam.
Sir very good article about Dhyan Chand. It is indeed his birthday is celebrated as national sports day. A great tribute to legendary sports man of this country. The youth of this country is fascinated by one game i.e cricket but equally they should importance to other games also. The govt should give equal importance to all games including cricket then only youth will attract to them T Sanjeeva Reddy Hyderabd