Pic Courtesy: Xtratime
Kolkata: August 29 is celebrated as the National Sports Day in our country. One and all remember this day as the birthday of the nation’s hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand. Chand was the gold medalist for India in 3 Olympics, 1928, 1932 and 1936.
On this auspicious day we look at few sportspersons and their views on National Sports Day while speaking with www.xtratime.in correspondent Sabyasachi Bagchi.
Dhanraj Pillay: The former Hockey skipper and the current team manager said,” It is a day where all of us should be proud. Major Dhyan Chand was the greatest of all times to have played this game. But at a certain point I fell extremely disappointed with the current situation of hockey in our country. From 1928 to 1980’s Hockey was extremely popular during this long phase of almost 60 years and we won the last Olympic medal in 1980. However after that, with every passing day, the interest for the game has deteriorated and other sports like Cricket Badminton have surpassed it. Couple of months back when India was playing the Champions Trophy finals against Pakistan, that very day we also had the finals against Pakistan where we thumped Pakistan by 7 goals. But on the next day on media we only saw India’s defeat in cricket being telecasted on a much larger scale. I am not blaming the media, a lot blame must be put on the Hockey federation who till now has done nothing for the betterment of the game. Apart from cricket every other sport gets requisite fund from the government except for the BCCI who still manages to host the greatest domestic cricket event which is the IPL. BCCI too has loopholes but they are effectively doing their job of making cricket a global sport.
Read More: National Sports Day 2017 | Find out how India is celebrating Dhyan Chand’s birthday
Ashok Kumar: The son of the Legend Dhyan Chand was also a former hockey international who World Cup in 1975. He said, “In the birthplace of my father and the place where he started playing hockey i.e. Jhashi, this day is celebrated with huge grandeur. Different tournaments are played all throughout the city. But I still feel sad when remembering the fact that August 29, the National Sports Day of the Nation has been named after my father yet he didn’t receive Bharat Ratna award. He should have been the first one to receive this award. However Sachin Tendulkar got it, I am not going into details regarding how to receive or why he received it, but I feel what my father has given to sports for the nation has been given by anyone else. I am glad that Modi ji tweeted about my father and in his programme “Man ki Baat” he also spoke about my father. I hope that in the future he would grant my father the ultimate honour.
Mir Ranjan Negi: Is a former Indian hockey goalie. He said, “We should have been proud of this day but I am not proud after seeing the current situation of hockey and other sports of the country. If in the near future if the government declares cricket to be the national sport then at least I would not be astonished. It is highly unfortunate that the HIL (Hockey India League) which would not take place this year. In the interference of politicians in the game affects it seriously and hinders its betterment. Throughout the country “Swach Bharat Abhiyan”, “Beti Bachao Abhiyan” taking place but no such movements like “Other sports Bachao Abhiyan” takes place which is highly needed. If we have to match the other nations in Sports Science then such movements are a must along with the support of the government. Else we would win a couple of games and then get knocked out of any tournament without winning a medal, which happens to be the main aim for the nation”.
Harmanpreet Kaur: The star women cricketer is all set to win the Arjuna Award today. Being highly excited she said, “The biggest achievement on Sports Day is to receive the prestigious Arjuna Award. We Punjabis always have a trend to play hockey and in my childhood I have seen my elders play this game. The love for this sport has always been there since my childhood and receiving the award on this day makes me even proud. I felt extremely happy when Ashok Kumar, the son of the great Dhyan Chand congratulated me today”.