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UP celebrates NationalSports Day with gusto
The day marked the 116th birth anniversary of India’s most successful hockey captain, Major Dhyan Chand .
LUCKNOW Hockey great Major Dhyan Chand remained the centre of discussion in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Maan Ki Baat’ programme on Sunday, which coincided with the National Sports Day to mark the birth anniversary of India’s most successful hockey captain.
Prime Minister Modi cited Dhyan Chand’s example on his 116th anniversary to urge youth to strive for excellence and leave a mark in all walks of life, including sports, space and start ups.
“Major Dhyan Chand established India in hockey. We may win many laurels, but the nation has always craved for a win in hockey. Major Dhyan Chand showed us the way, now we must continue to progress on it,” he said.
A series of activities were organized across the state to mark the National Sports Day. In Jhansi, the home town of Dhyan Chand, the Uttar Pradesh Hockey announced the conduct of the Senior National Women’s Hockey Championship in October.
“It’s an attempt to give a fillip to the sport in Jhansi, which is the home town of “Dadda Dhyanchand”,” said UPH’s secretary RP Singh, who also happens to be the director, sports of UP.
“India winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, first in an Olympic after 41 years, has been a big boost to the sport and it’s time for everyone to take the sport forward by conducting a big event,” he said, adding, “Uttar Pradesh has always been one of the biggest hubs of hockey players in India and the conduct of the women’s hockey in Jhansi will be a big inspiration to the hockey players as well as fans there.”
On the occasion, a number of former hockey greats like Zafar Iqbal, Vineet Kumar, Romeo James, Onkar Singh, Ashok Dewan, Ashok Kumar, Tushar Khandekar, Abdul Aziz and Jalaluddin etc were felicitated. They also played an exhibition hockey match.
The National Sports Day was also observed across the state. The five-a-side astro-turf stadium at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur witnessed the conduct of the two-day hockey tournament with Green Park Green XI beating ABC XI by a solitary goal. Babu Society A beat Mohd Shahid XI by 3-0 in Lucknow.
In Varanasi, the UP Soccer Foundation conducted a football tournament. Players like Saket, Mona, Nilesh, Babu and Brijesh were honoured with gold medals. The foundation also announced the adoption of young girl Khushi and promised to take care of her education and sport.
The National Sports Day celebrations also took place at Agra, Prayagraj, Unnao, Barabanki, Ghaziabad, Azamgarh and Gorakhpur etc.
Award announced
Celebrating the 100th Foundation Day, Jhansi’s Heroz Club on Sunday announced ‘Major Dhyan Chand Sports Inspiration Award’ every year. To start with, the Heroz Club Sports Development Committee chose chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani and president of ‘Sports A Way of Life’ organization, Dr Kanishka Pandey for this prestigious.
While announcing the names, Ashok Dhyan Chand, son of Major Dhyan Chand, said the contribution of Ambani and Pandey in sports development in this country was immense. The two would be awarded on September 30.
“A seven-member committee, including Olympians and awardees would pick the awardees every year and it would be given to them on September 30 of at their residence,” said a release.
Ashok Dhyan Chand also informed that deputy chief minister Keshav Maurya had approved the construction of a road in the name of Dhyan Chand under a special scheme being run for the Uttar Pradesh’s sportspersons by the public works department.
