Today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that India’s top sports honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, will be renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Dhyan Chand, the ultimate hockey star and legend, is honored with the renaming.
The Khel Ratna award was established in 1991-1992, and Viswanathan Anand, a chess star, was the inaugural recipient. Sachin Tendulkar, Dhanraj Pillay, Leander Paes, Pullela Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, Anju Bobby George, Mary Kom, and Rani Rampal were among the other winners. The award, currently known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, carries a monetary reward of Rs 25 lakh.
Major Dhyan Chand, a field hockey player known as The Wizard, played international hockey from 1926 until 1949, scoring over 400 goals. Dhyan Chand, an Allahabad native, was a member of the Olympic gold-medal winning teams in 1928, 1932, and 1936. Apart from the Khel Ratna, the Dhyan Chand Award is the country’s highest honor for lifetime accomplishment in sports. It was established in the year 2002. Dhyan Chand’s contribution was recognized in sports when the National Stadium situated in New Delhi was renamed to Dhyan Chand National stadium in 2002.
According to the Prime Minister, the move was made in response to countless demands from around the country. “The countrymen have expressed their views countless times on honoring Major Dhyan Chand. I want to respect the views and opinions of my countrymen” “I appreciate their input. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award will be the new name of the Khel Ratna Award recognizing the impact Dhyan Chand played in the India’s sporting history” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with JaiHind.
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The shift comes on the same day that India’s women’s hockey team barely lost out on a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, bringing an end to their passionate performance. The men’s hockey team had just earned Olympic bronze after a 41-year wait. ” The Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams’ outstanding performances have captivated the attention of the whole country. Hockey is regaining popularity in India. “This is an excellent indication for the future,” the Prime Minister stated in a tweet just before revealing the award’s new name.
