In a tweet that will certainly send the Congress party into a tizzy, on Friday (August 6), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
He made this announcement from his Twitter handle and said, “I have been getting many requests from citizens across India to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand. I thank them for their views. Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award! Jai Hind!,”
I have been getting many requests from citizens across India to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand. I thank them for their views.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021
Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award!
Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/zbStlMNHdq
Modi went on to add that, “Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India. It is fitting that our nation’s highest sporting honour will be named after him,”.
Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India. It is fitting that our nation’s highest sporting honour will be named after him.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021
After the assassination of former PM Rajiv Gandhi, the top sports honor was named after him in 1991-1992 just as many other awards and landmarks and buildings are named after the Nehru-Gandhi family and no the top sports honor has the name of India’s most iconic athlete.
Major Dhyan Chand was called the Wizard when it came to field hockey nad as a player, he played international hockey from 1926 to 1949, scoring over 400 goals in his career, and was part of the Olympic team that won gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936.
There is also a long-standing demand major Dhyan Chand be confirmed with India’s highest civilian honor, the Bharat Ratna.
It was reported that German Leader Adolf Hitler was so impressed with Chand’s skills that he offered him German citizenship and a rank of Colonel in the German Army, which he refused.