The Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award will now be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.
The decision was taken, “respecting the sentiments of citizens across the country”. The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honour in the sports world.
The Prime Minister tweeted, “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!”
The change has come after the men’s hockey team has captivated the imagination of the nation with their excellent performance.
Major Dhyan Chand has always remained a wizard in hockey and an icon for many generations. Dhyan Chand, whose birthday is celebrated as National Sports Day, won three Olympic golds for the country. Many hockey players even said that they picked up the sticks on being inspired by the legend player.
However, the Prime Minister in another tweet stated just before making the announcement, “The exceptional performance of the Men’s and Women’s Hockey Team has captured the imagination of our entire nation. There is a renewed interest towards Hockey that is emerging across the length and breadth of India. This is a very positive sign for the coming times,”
