New Delhi: Following the outstanding performances of Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams at the current Tokyo Olympics 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the country’s highest sports honour, will be renamed after the hockey legend, Major Dhyan Chand. The coveted award comes with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh.
He said that individuals from all sections across the country have been requesting that the Khel Ratna Award be named after Major Dhyan Chand. ‘The Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award respecting the sentiments of citizens across the country,’ PM tweeted.
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Meanwhile, responding to the government’s decision, Congress MP K Suresh stated: ‘It’s unfortunate. Rajiv Gandhi was PM, he led the country into the 21st century. He encouraged sports, youth. This Govt wants to saffronise and thus they gave it another name.’
Dhyan Chand was a renowned hockey player who was a member of the Indian hockey team that won gold in 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics. On August 29, India commemorates Dhyan Chand’s birth anniversary by celebrating National Sports Day.
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