Onlykashmir.in News Desk
The nation celebrated National Sports Day on Saturday to commemorate the 121st birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, whose contribution to Indian sport remains an enduring source of inspiration. In New Delhi, a special sporting event was organised at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium near India Gate, attended by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and Union Minister of Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.
This year’s celebrations centred around the nationwide “Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidan Mein” initiative, encouraging citizens, particularly young people, to dedicate at least one hour to sports and physical activity. The programme began with the ministers paying floral tribute to Major Dhyan Chand by garlanding his statue, after which hundreds of participants joined the celebrations from 8 AM onwards, taking part in a range of sporting and fitness activities through the day.
Speaking on the occasion, Mandaviya said the nationwide initiative was aimed at strengthening the Fit India Movement and encouraging people to make sports part of their daily lives. “Lakhs of youth across the country have been actively participating in every street, on every ground, to come out to play for one hour. I am glad to say that under Modi ji’s leadership, the country is changing, the country is moving forward, a new India is being built,” he said, adding that building a new India also meant envisioning a fit and healthy society as the foundation for national prosperity. He urged citizens to spend at least one hour every week on the playing field and pay attention to their health.
Meghwal extended greetings to the nation on the occasion and highlighted the importance of regular sports and physical activity for physical and mental wellbeing. “Sports have always been a part of my life, from kabaddi and football to playing badminton almost every day. My personal motto is morning music and evening play,” he said, describing regular sporting participation as key to staying physically fit, healthy and free from mental stress, and linking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to dedicate an hour to sports with the broader “Hum Fit Toh India Fit” initiative and the goal of building a developed nation.
Cricket, football and tug of war were among the activities organised through the day to promote participation, teamwork and an active lifestyle. A cricket competition featured four teams, Ministry XI, SAI XI, Media XI and Influencers XI, with prominent social media influencers and Fit India Ambassadors making up the Influencers XI lineup. The Ministry XI, led by Mandaviya and comprising Department of Sports Secretary Hari Ranjan Rao along with ministry officials, secured a convincing win over Media XI in the opening cricket match of the day.
The National Sports Day celebrations at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium reaffirmed the government’s commitment to promoting a culture of sports, fitness and active living across the country, while paying tribute to the enduring legacy of Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary.
