Today we celebrate the birth anniversary of the greatest player to have set foot on a hockey field. Major Dhyan Chand. This day marks the birthday of Major Dhyan Chand Singh, the hockey player who won gold medals in Olympics for India in the years 1928, 1932 and 1936. He scored 570 goals in his career, from 1926 – 1949 (according to his autobiography, Goals).
He put his stamp on the international hockey arena, and helped the country reach the pinnacle of glory on numerous occasions. He was a legendary figure in Indian and world hockey. The most noted memorials for him were the Major Dhyan Chand Award, the highest award for lifetime achievement in sports and games in India, and the National Sports Day celebrations on his birthday. Major Dhyan Chand learnt the game of hockey from his coach Pankaj Gupta. There is no one who has reached his level in hockey. The birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand is on 29 August 1905. This week has been pretty good for Indian sport. The country won its first ever gold medal at the World athletics Championship in Hungary. India’s and Goa’s chess players won accolades with their performance. At the national level, the athletes are preparing for the National Games which will be held in October in Goa. Goan athletes and those involved in the system were working very hard to ensure that the athletes put their best foot forward.
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Katya Coeho who is India’s only India’s only Women iQFoiler and is expected to win medals for the State in the games. Katya said, “I feel very proud as an Indian when I see the tri colour raised high. My heart swells when it is on top in international events. I would like to see more achievements from Indian athletes. This year, I would like to see more instances of gender equality in sports; I have been witness to it. I hope this is a great year for Indian sport.”
Another Goan star with much to say is Anura Prabhudessai. Currently ranked in the top 20 in singles in the country in badminton, she is motivated to work harder and go higher in the ranking. She said she was working hard to perform well in the National games, upcoming tournaments in the country as well as those internationally. Anura said,” I hope to do well, it is important for me and for Goa as hosts. I am working very hard.”
For the very young Daniella who is a boxer, the most brutal of sports, she is currently undergoing training in Bhopal. Selected just two weeks ago for this camp, she turns senior in December and will not be participating in the National games since she is still a junior. She has however participated in three nationals in the youth category and is very focused on achieving her goal. She said, “I want to win a medal for the country in an international tournament and to achieve that, I am working very hard to continuously improve and win.”
From the most demanding sport to the sport which is reputed to be the hardest on the heart. Squash. Samairah Bhandare is one of the promising young players on the horizon. Very focused on what she wants, she said,” On this National Sports day, I would like to first of all thank my coaches and mentors who have trained me and motivated me to give my best. I feel I have a lot to accomplish and as any sports person my dream is to play for my country. I love Squash and every day that I train, I move closer to my goal. Some days are tough, some days are tougher, but all I can say on this day is what my coach Khushwant Singh keeps telling me, persistence and self belief will take you to altogether another level in your game”.
From physically vigorous sports to that most sedentary of sports which is very demanding mentally, chess. Chess is a sport that has caught the fancy of the youth in the country. In Goa itself, the game is blossoming. With Bhakti Kulkarni having gained much attention by winning a bronze medal in the Chess Olympiad held in Chennai, chess is having its moment in the sun. Now there are several more players coming to the fore. Ethan Vaz all of 11 is one such player. Having just returned from Abu Dhabhi where he achieved his maiden International Masters, his hopes are very clear and concise like his moves on the chess board. Ethan said “I am trying to be one of the youngest chess grandmasters in the world. For that, I need to participate in strong tournaments regularly. However, the expenditure towards tournaments is huge, and we have been going slow over the years because of a lack of sponsorship. On National Sports Day, I wish that all aspiring sportspersons get support from sponsors and the government.” Another aspiring chess player Sanjay Belurkar’s immediate goal is to become a GM. He has one norm and needs two more. The 22 year old chess player would like to make a mark on the international circuit and hopes to do that sooner rather than later.
From all land based activities to those that involve water, swimming is very popular in the State. Sanjana Prabhugaonker, now 16, recently won a bronze medal in Orissa in the Nationals and trains in Dubai. She said, “ As we all celebrate National Sports Day , it’s time to salute all our mentors, coaches , allied helping hands and support staff who make a huge difference to our performances at training and competitions who have helped me to achieve my goals for my country both at national and international levels. Representing India in swimming is a huge pride for me, which has always taught me to practice with discipline, and determination with an aggressive energy in the swimming pool and an ambition to move towards the podium. Let’s celebrate the gift of a healthy body and a sound mind through the swimming arena. Sports have the power to bring people together – let’s celebrate that unity today.”
It is obvious the youth of today are very focussed and determined to achieve what they set out to do. This is just what Major Dhyan Chand’s attitude was all those years ago. He was determined to leave his mark while representing a country that was still ruled by foreigners. With that attitude, it can be safely said that India will make its mark on the playing fields of the world.
