New Delhi, September 1, 2026: Hockey India’s Member Units across the country came together to celebrate National Sports Day 2026, marking the 121st birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, whose incredible feats helped India win Olympic gold in 1928, 1932 and 1936. The three-day celebration, held from 28 to 30 August under the Fit India Movement and the theme “Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat,” saw Member Units organise digital tributes, hockey matches, fitness drives and cycling events, reaffirming the game’s deep connection with communities across the nation.
The celebrations began on 28 August with a Digital Tribute Day, as units took part in the “29 Challenge,” organised Pass the Ball activities and shared Sports Bandhan posts to spread the message of unity through sport online. The main day of celebration, 29 August, was observed with “Ek Ghanta Khel ke Maidan Mein,” with hockey matches, coaching drills and fitness sessions conducted at grounds nationwide, before the festivities concluded on 30 August with “Sundays on Cycle,” bringing communities together for fitness through cycling.
Hockey Jharkhand led wide-ranging celebrations across Simdega, Gumla, Khunti, Hazaribagh, Ramgarh, East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Godda, with hockey competitions and friendly matches organised in tribute to Major Dhyan Chand. Simdega, long regarded as the nursery of Indian hockey, hosted the grand 21st Major Dhyan Chand Senior District Men’s and Women’s Hockey Championship 2026, drawing 58 competing teams, while Hockey Godda organised a “Sunday on Cycle” ride in association with the District Sports Office.
Goans Hockey marked the occasion across four venues in the state тАФ friendly matches among six teams at Peddem Astro Turf under coach Eliter Fernandes; dribbling and fitness sessions for young players at Loyola High School led by Physical Education teacher and Hockey India umpire Ayaz Khan; a hockey session at Miracle High School, Sanguem, conducted by Inacio Fernandes; and a tournament themed “Ek Ghante ka Khel” at Damodar English High School, Gudi.
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu Hockey, in association with the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Fit India and the Sports Authority of India, hosted a three-day “Nationwide Celebration of Sports, Spirit & Unity” at the Stadium Ground, Silvassa, headlined by the Hockey5s Tournament. In Rajasthan, Hockey Rajasthan organised matches across districts to spread awareness of the Fit India Movement, while the state’s Youth Affairs and Sports Department led a National Sports Week in Jhalawar with floral tributes to the hockey legend.
Hockey Maharashtra, together with the Directorate of Sports & Youth Services, Maharashtra, celebrated the 121st birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi, Pune, as part of the “Fit Maharashtra Paramparik Khel Utsav 2026.”
The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu celebrated across its academies and district member units, Hockey Arunachal organised a series of activities in its region, and Chhattisgarh Hockey, along with the District Hockey Association Rajnandgaon, held celebrations promoting sports, spirit and unity. Sports Authority of Telangana organised programmes at all 33 district headquarters and key Hyderabad venues, felicitating decorated athletes Gayatri Gopichand, Treesa Jolly and Nandini Agasara before inaugurating the final of the Major Dhyan Chand Memorial “Khelo Telangana Hockey League,” with a state-wide cycling edition following the next day. Hockey Andhra Pradesh, too, paid tribute to the legend, echoing his words: “The real hero is the one who wins over himself.”
Hockey Association of Odisha, alongside the Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, organised a three-day celebration built around the theme “Ek Ghanta Khel Ke Maidan Mein,” progressing through the pillars of Tribute, Play and Move. The observance opened on 28 August, moved into its centrepiece on 29 August with a state-level ceremony at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar, where Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi conferred the Biju Patnaik Sports and Adventure Awards 2025 and unveiled the state’s own pledge, “Kheliba Odisha, Jitiba Odisha,” in line with the national call of “Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat.” The celebrations concluded on 30 August with a “Sunday on Cycle” rally flagged off from Ekamra Kanan Square by Minister for Sports and Youth Services Suryabanshi Suraj, who led the ride himself despite heavy rain, joined by Commissioner-cum-Secretary Bhupendra Singh Poonia and volunteers from MY Bharat, NSS and NDRF.
Commending the efforts of the Member Units, Dr. Dilip Tirkey, President, Hockey India, said, “National Sports Day is a proud moment for Indian hockey, as we honour Major Dhyan Chand’s timeless legacy. It is heartening to see our Member Units, from Simdega to Silvassa, embrace this occasion with such energy and take the message of ‘Khelega Bharat, Jeetega Bharat’ to every corner of the country.”
Shri Bhola Nath Singh, Secretary General, Hockey India, added, “The scale of participation this year, across district hockey units, schools and community programmes, shows how deeply Major Dhyan Chand’s ideals of discipline and sportsmanship continue to resonate with our grassroots. I congratulate all our Member Units for their tireless efforts in making these three days a true celebration of sport.”
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