Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju are among others who paid tribute to the India's greatest hockey player Major Dhyan Chand on his 115th birth anniversary which is also marked as the National Sports Day.
Wishing the hockey legend on his birth anniversary PM Modi in his tweet wrote, "Today, on #NationalSportsDay, we pay tributes to Major Dhyan Chand, whose magic with the hockey stick can never be forgotten. This is also a day to laud the outstanding support given by the families, coaches and support staff towards the success of our talented athletes."
"National Sports Day is a day to celebrate the remarkable achievements of all those exemplary sportspersons who have represented India in various sports and made our nation proud. Their tenacity and determination are outstanding," he added.
On the other hand, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju took to twitter to wish on the National Sports Day. He said, "Today is #NationalSportsDay and I pay my tribute to the 'The Wizard of Indian Hockey' Major Dhyan Chand on his Birth Anniversary. The great sportsman displayed unparalleled dedication and skills in Hockey to bring accolades and honour to India."
Rijiju was also paid floral tribute to Dhyan Chand in the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on Saturday.
Dhyan Chand, who had joined the army at the age of 16, was instrumental in India's hat-trick of gold medals in the 1928, 1932 and 1936 Olympics. Known for his unmatchable goal-scoring abilities, Dhyan Chand is renowned as 'the magician or the wizard of hockey', mainly because of his skills with the hockey stick.
"On #NationalSportsDay, I salute all our sportsperson who has been making India proud through their passion & hard-work. Modi govt is committed and playing an instrumental role in promoting sports and nurturing the young talent through initiatives like Khelo India & Fit India," tweeted Home Minister Amit Shah.
