​From Dhyan Chand to Kerala's Heroes: A National Sports Day Story

Dhyan Chand to Kerala's Heroes: A National Sports Day Story

Every year, August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day in India, commemorating the birth anniversary of the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, affectionately known as “The Wizard.” Dhyan Chand’s unparalleled skill and leadership led the Indian hockey team to three consecutive Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932, and 1936. His artistry on the field, marked by deft stick work and precise control, earned him global recognition and admiration. Even world leaders took notice; in Berlin 1936, Adolf Hitler was so impressed by his talent that he offered Dhyan Chand a high-ranking military post in Germany - an offer he politely declined.

Dhyan Chand’s journey to sporting immortality began long before his Olympic triumphs. In 1926, when the Indian Hockey Federation was newly formed, the federation organized its first international tour to New Zealand. It was on this tour that Dhyan Chand truly established himself as India’s premier hockey star. His excitement upon selection is beautifully recounted in his autobiography 'Goal'.

“It was a great day for me when my Commanding Officer called me and said: ‘Boy, you are to go to New Zealand’. I was dumbfounded and did not know what to reply. All I did was to click my heels snappily, give a smart salute as I possibly could and beat a hasty retreat. Once out of sight of the officer, I ran like a hare to reach my barracks and communicated the good news to my fellow soldiers. And what a reception they gave me! I lost no time in getting prepared for the trip. I was not a rich man, my earnings as a sepoy being only a few rupees a month. My parents were not rich either. All thoughts of outfitting and equipping myself in the proper manner for an overseas tour of this nature had to be given up for want of sufficient resources. I clothed myself as inexpensively as possible, and my main outfit was my military kit…”

The Indian team ended the tour with 18 victories in 21 matches, scoring 192 goals while conceding just 24, averaging 9.31 goals per match. Most of these goals came from Dhyan Chand, then a Lance Naik in the Indian Army. Buoyed by this success and the support of the colonial British administration, the Indian Hockey Federation secured global affiliation in 1927.

While Dhyan Chand’s unparalleled achievements laid the very foundation of India’s hockey legacy, they also opened the path for celebrating sporting excellence across the land, inspiring every state to nurture athletes of international repute. On this day, the nation gathers for the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award ceremony, an occasion that honours not only the wizard of hockey but also the enduring power of sports to mould character, instill discipline, and kindle the spirit of teamwork, resilience, and determination.

This year, carrying forward that vision, India will mark National Sports Day 2025 as a three-day fitness movement, underscoring the need to make health and physical activity a shared national priority.

National Sports Day thus becomes far more than a remembrance of a legend; it is both a living reminder of how sport shapes lives and a celebration of India’s collective journey of excellence. It is also the nation’s moment to salute the collective spirit of Indian sport - recognising the achievements of athletes, coaches, and mentors across the country - while embracing a nationwide celebration of fitness, sportsmanship, and community engagement from August 29 to 31.

Across India, schools, colleges, and communities mark the day with tournaments, fitness drives, and awareness campaigns. States also use the occasion to assess infrastructure, broaden participation, and identify emerging talent. More importantly, National Sports Day is the day when India’s most prestigious sporting honours are conferred, recognising exceptional athletes and coaches who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of excellence.

While celebrating National Sports Day, it is fitting to recognise that the spirit of sport extends far beyond Dhyan Chand himself. While his wizardry on the hockey field inspires the nation, the day also pays tribute to every athlete, coach, mentor, and enthusiast who has contributed to India’s sporting legacy. Kerala’s sporting community, with its decades-long commitment to excellence and innovation, exemplifies the same principles of dedication, discipline, and passion that Dhyan Chand embodied.

From the grassroots level to international arenas, Kerala continues to uphold a tradition of sporting excellence, demonstrating that true glory in sport comes from sustained effort, community support, and a lifelong dedication to physical culture. National Sports Day, therefore, is not just a celebration of an individual legend, it is a befitting tribute to the entire sporting fraternity, which nurtures talent, fosters resilience, and inspires generations of athletes to dream bigger and achieve higher.

Kerala’s National Sporting Honours

If the playing fields of Kerala are the roots, then the national honours bestowed upon her sons and daughters are the blossoms that crown that tree. These awards are not mere medals or citations; they are affirmations of a people’s spirit, discipline, and relentless pursuit of excellence. From village grounds to Olympic arenas, Kerala’s athletes and coaches have carried the fragrance of this small state into the great garden of Indian sport.

Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awardees

India’s highest sporting honour, instituted in 1991–92, stands as a beacon for the finest international performances. It is not easily won, for it demands not just talent but the rare brilliance of rising above the world’s best. When conferred upon athletes from Kerala, it becomes more than an individual recognition - it becomes a celebration of the land itself, its sweat, its soil, and its ceaseless training grounds. From Kerala, the award has been conferred to:

2002 : K. M. Beenamol (Athletics)
Beenamol scripted history by winning the 800m gold medal at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, along with a silver in the 4x400m relay. She became the first Indian woman to reach an Olympic 800m semifinal at Sydney 2000. Her consistency and ability to break barriers in middle-distance running brought her the Khel Ratna.

2003 : Anju Bobby George (Athletics)
Anju gave India its first-ever World Athletics Championships medal with a bronze in long jump at Paris (2003). She also won gold at the 2005 IAAF World Athletics Final and silver at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Her achievements elevated Indian athletics on the global stage.

2021 : P. R. Sreejesh (Hockey)
As India’s stalwart goalkeeper, Sreejesh played a pivotal role in securing the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, ending India’s 41 year wait for a hockey medal. Known as the “Great Wall of India,” his leadership and resilience earned him the nation’s highest sporting honour.

The Arjuna Awardees

Since 1961, the Arjuna Award has honoured those who embody consistent excellence on the national and international stage. For Kerala, it has been a garland woven with many flowers, athletes who sprinted across tracks, volleyballers who soared above nets, footballers who carved artistry on muddy fields, swimmers who cut through waters, and hockey players who stood tall with the stick of pride. Each Arjuna from Kerala tells the story of dedication carried out not in isolation but with the heartbeat of a people behind them.

Year		Event		Awardee
1965	:	Mountaineering	:	Hav. C. Balakrishnan
1974	:	Athletics	:	T. C. Yohannan
1975	:	Volleyball	:	K. C. Elamma
1976	:	Volleyball Ball Badminton	: :	Jimmy George A. Sam Christudas
1978	:	Athletics	:	Suresh Babu
1979	:	Athletics Volleyball	: :	Angel Mary Joseph V. M. Kutty Krishnan
1982	:	Athletics	:	M. D. Valsamma
1983	:	Athletics	:	P. T. Usha
1984	:	Volleyball Powerlifting	: :	Sally Joseph P. J. Joseph
1985	:	Athletics	:	Shiny Wilson
1986	:	Volleyball	:	Cyril C. Valloor
1988	:	Swimming Powerlifting	: :	Cherian Wilson P. K. Yasodharan
1989	:	Athletics	:	Mercy Kuttan
1991	:	Volleyball	:	K. Udayakumar
1992	:	Powerlifting	:	E. Sajeevan Bhaskar
1993	:	Athletics	:	K. Saramma
1994	:	Athletics	:	K. C. Rosakutty
1996	:	Athletics	:	Padmini Thomas
1999	:	Hockey Bodybuilding Shooting	: : :	S. Omana Kumary T. V. Pauly Roopa Unnikrishnan
2000	:	Swimming Badminton Athletics	: : :	Sebastian Xavier George Thomas K. M. Beenamol
2001	:	Yatching	:	R. Mahesh
2002	:	Football	:	I. M. Vijayan
2003	:	Athletics	:	Anju Bobby George
2004	:	Rowing	:	Jenil Krishnan
2006	:	Athletics	:	K. M. Binu
2007	:	Athletics Boxing	: :	Chithra K. Soman Johnson Varghese
2008	:	Athletics	:	Sinimol Paulose
2009	:	Athletics Volleyball	: :	Joseph Abraham K. J. Kapil Dev
2010	:	Athletics	:	Preeja Sreedharan
2014	:	Volleyball Basketball Badminton Rowing Athletics	: : : : :	Tom Joseph Geethu Anna Jose V. Diju Saji Thomas Tintu Luka
2015	:	Hockey	:	P. R. Sreejesh
2019	:	Athletics	:	Muhammed Anas Yahiya
2022	:	Athletics Badminton	: :	Eldhose Paul H. S. Prannoy
2023	:	Athletics	:	M. Sreeshankar
2024	:	Swimming	:	Sajan Prakash

The Major Dhyan Chand Award

Major Dhyan Chand Awardees Instituted in 2002, this award salutes lifetime achievement, a lifetime spent shaping the soul of sport. To receive it is to be honoured not for a fleeting victory but for the long vigil - the years of sacrifice, the nurturing of others, the handing over of a torch to future generations. Kerala’s recipients here are not just athletes of yesterday; they are guardians of memory and mentors of tomorrow

2015 : T. P. Padmanabhan Nair (Volleyball) 

A seminal figure in Indian volleyball, T. P. Padmanabhan Nair captained the national team and was a coach for decades. He was the first  volleyball player from Kerala  to receive the Dhyan Chand Award, in recognition for his contributions as both a player and a coach.

2019: Manuel Frederick (Hockey)
The first Malayali to win an Olympic medal (bronze as goalkeeper in Munich 1972), Manuel Frederick was honoured with the Dhyan Chand Award in 2019, in recognition of a career that had long been celebrated locally but was now formally acknowledged at the national level.

The Dronacharya Awardees

If athletes are the arrows, then coaches are the bows that give them flight. Instituted in 1985, the Dronacharya Award honours those whose vision and guidance have transformed potential into podium finishes. For Kerala, this award carries a special resonance, because from its earliest days, her coaches have trained not just bodies, but spirits, shaping raw energy into disciplined artistry. From the very first recipient onwards, Kerala’s imprint has been indelible

1985 : O. M. Nambiar (Athletics)
The inaugural recipient of the Dronacharya Award, O. M. Nambiar mentored P. T. Usha, laid the foundation of modern athletics coaching in India. His scientific methods and discipline produced Olympic level athletes.

 2006 : Damodaran Chandralal (Boxing)
A respected boxing coach from Kerala, Chandralal trained national and international boxers, strengthening southern India’s boxing culture.

2021 : P. Radhakrishnan Nair (Athletics)
Radhakrishnan Nair has been a key figure in Indian athletics, serving as the chief national coach and guiding many athletes to success on the global stage.

2021 : T. P. Ouseph (Athletics Lifetime) 

Ouseph is a highly decorated coach who has mentored many of India's finest track and field athletes, including Anju Bobby George. His expertise and long-standing commitment to the sport earned him the Lifetime Achievement award.

2023: E. Bhaskaran (Kabaddi Lifetime) 

Bhaskaran is a veteran kabaddi coach who guided India to multiple international golds. His tactical acumen and long-standing service to the sport earned him the Lifetime Achievement award.

2024: S. Muralidharan (Badminton - Lifetime)
Recognized for his extensive career as a player, coach, and administrator, S. Muralidharan received the Dronacharya Award for Lifetime Achievement for his immense contribution to the sport of badminton.

Together, they are not just recognitions, but resonant echoes of Kerala’s spirit in motion, a legacy of sweat, struggle, and triumph that continues to inspire generations. The Khel Ratna crowns those whose brilliance shone brightest on the world stage. The Arjuna Award salutes years of unwavering excellence, steady as the pulse of our soil. The Dronacharya Award bows before the masters who moulded champions with patience and vision. And the Dhyan Chand Award stands as an eternal garland for a lifetime of devotion to the games we cherish.

For Kerala, they are more than awards; they are symbols of an eternal dialogue between effort and excellence, between soil and soul, between a small land and the vast destiny of a nation.

Ultimately, National Sports Day is a tribute to every individual who has ever picked up a ball, laced up a pair of shoes, or stood on a starting block. It embodies the universal message that in the world of sports, every effort counts, and every dream is worth chasing. Let this day be celebrated in honor of all passionate sportspersons, and a reminder that the spirit of sports extends far beyond medals or records. While we celebrate Sports day on August 29, let us constantly remember the true theme of National Sports Day throughout the year, fostering a culture of sports, fitness, and perseverance in every corner of the country.

May the fields of Kerala continue to nurture new heroes, records await new names, and the flag rises higher still, inspired by the legacy of Dhyan Chand and the countless athletes who keep his spirit alive.

References

1. ”Goal” Autobiography of Dhyan Chand. Sport & Pastime, Madras 1952.
2. Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. National Sports Awards Archive.
3. Krishnan, M. (2018). Major Dhyan Chand: The Wizard of Hockey. New Delhi: Sports Heritage Press.
4. Press Information Bureau (2024). National Sports Awards Announcements
5. Sports Authority of India. Coaching and Infrastructure Reports – Kerala.
6. Government of India Notification (1982) Declaring August 29 as National Sports Day to honour Major Dhyan Chand.

 Coming up next: On Sunday, 31st August 2025 – the fifth day of Onam – games in the courtyards and backwaters begin to stir with ceremony and purpose.