National Sports Day in India is celebrated on August 29, the birthday of Dhyan Chand, one of the greatest field hockey players of all time.
Dhyan Chand won gold medals for India in Olympics in the years 1928,1932 and 1936.
On this day, matches are organised between different Indian hockey teams at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi.
National Sports Awards such as Arjuna and Khel Ratna are conferred on selected athletes by the President of India every year, on this day.
The National Hockey stadium in Delhi was renamed as Dhyan Chand National Stadium in 2002.
The National Sports Day celebrations are a commemoration of his achievements. The day is also known as Rashtriya Khel Divas.
The Major Dyanchand Awards conferred on athletes is the highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games in India.
