Remembering the wizard with a golden hockey stick

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 29

Surjit Hockey Society and Surjit Hockey Academy, that gained much prominence after Tokyo Olympics, jointly celebrated National Sports Day and the birth anniversary of the great hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand. Hockey Captain Mandeep Singh and players Manpreet Singh, Varun Kumar and others started their hockey journey from Surjit Hockey Society only.

Ever since, the hockey team won silver medal in the Olympics, a large number of budding hockey players registered themselves to take admission in the hockey society.

National Sports Day: History & significance

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• The National Sports Day is celebrated every year on August 29 to mark Major Dhyan Chand’s birthday
• He had scored more than 400 international goals in his career from 1926 to 1948 while scoring nearly 1,000 goals in his entire career
• In a bid to pay tribute to the legendary player, the government decided to celebrate his birthday as National Sports Day in 2012

Addressing the players and their parents at the function held at the local Guru Gobind Singh Stadium today, Punjab chief hockey coach Olympian Rajinder Singh (Dronacharya Awardee) highlighted the history and significance of National Sports Day. He stressed on the importance of sports in the physical and mental health of human beings and said, people who play sports stay healthy.

Iqbal Singh Sandhu, general secretary, Surjit Hockey Society and Academy while congratulating the players on National Sports Day and the birthday of the hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, briefed the players about the sporting achievements of Dhyan Chand.

On this occasion, chief PRO Surinder Singh Bhapa, coach Davinder Singh, coach Parmjit, Naresh Kumar, Gurmeet Singh etc., were also present.