RAJIV GANDHI KHEL RATNA AWARD RENAMED AFTER DHYAN CHAND
Taking advantage of people’s high excitement for hockey after excellent performance by India’s men and women teams at the Tokyo Olympics, Prime Minister Narendra Modi played his own little game against “Team Congress” on Friday. Modi announced that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award would now be known as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The BJP leaders described it as “Khela Hobe.” The Khel Ratna award is the highest sporting honours. Legendary Dhyan Chand became a hero in the 1936 Olympics as India under the British Raj had scored a Hat-trick. Adolf Hitler had watched with awe as Germany was defeated 8-1 and India had secured the gold medal. The final match was played on 15 August 1936—and renaming of Khel Ratna awards in the memory of Dhyan Chand just days before the beginning of mega celebrations to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence has added more significance to the PM’S well thought-out decision. Dhyan Chand had scored six goals out of the eight for India. Hitler was so much impressed by Dhyan Chand’s magic stick game that he had offered him a place in the German military but, with all his pride, he had declined to accept the offer. Congress leaders accused Modi of playing politics. Modi said that this was being done “respecting the sentiments of citizens across the country”…”major Dhyan Chand was among India’s foremost sportspersons who brought honour and pride for India”.