April 02, 2026 04:34 pm (IST)

Make this your homepage

News

AAP drops Raghav Chadha from key parliamentary role, sparks buzz over internal rift | Amit Shah to camp in West Bengal for 15 days during Assembly polls; predicts Mamata’s defeat in state and Bhabanipur | 'BJP plotting President’s Rule, don’t fall in the trap': Mamata Banerjee on Malda unrest, urges peace | 'Most polarised state': CJI Kant raps Bengal govt over 9-hour hostage of judicial officers | Bengal SIR protest: Judge pleads for help amid mob attack after 9-hour hostage ordeal | Bengal SIR progress: 47 lakh of 60 lakh adjudicated cases disposed of, Supreme Court informed | Amit Shah to join Suvendu Adhikari on Bhabanipur nomination day; BJP plans mega roadshow | Fuel prices rise: Premium petrol, diesel hiked amid oil price surge | Commercial LPG up Rs 195.50 as global oil prices rise; domestic rates unchanged | Layoff alert: Oracle cuts 30,000 jobs globally, 12,000 hit in India

Khel Ratna Award

Image Credit: Narendra Modi/Twitter

Modi govt renames Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award after Hockey legend Dhyan Chand

India Blooms News Service | @indiablooms | Aug 06, 2021, at 07:15 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest sporting honour in India, has been renamed after legendary Hockey player late Dhyan Chand.

The announcement was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday.

Modi tweeted, "I have been getting many requests from citizens across India to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand. I thank them for their views. Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award! Jai Hind!"

I have been getting many requests from citizens across India to name the Khel Ratna Award after Major Dhyan Chand. I thank them for their views.

Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award!

Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/zbStlMNHdq
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021

He added, "Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India. It is fitting that our nation’s highest sporting honour will be named after him."

Major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India. It is fitting that our nation’s highest sporting honour will be named after him.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021

In an era where India dominated in hockey, Dhyan Chand earned gold medals in the Olympics in 1928, 1932 and 1936.

The Modi government's decision came at a time India's men's and women's hockey team showed bravery in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics 2020.

While the women's hockey team narrowly missed a bronze medal, the same was won by the men's unit.

The Khel Ratna Award was so far named after former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi.

#KhelRatnaAward #MajorDhyanChand #RajivGandhi #NarendraModi #Hockey

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.