National Sports Day: Dhyan Chand deserves Bharat Ratna as much as others, say hockey lovers

Doraha, August 29

As the country celebrates National Sports Day to mark the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand today, the sports fraternity has come out strongly over the inordinate delay on the part of the government in conferring Bharat Ratna upon the wizard of hockey.

“Dhyan Chand is most remembered for his goal-scoring feats and for his three Olympic gold medals in the field of hockey. Having scored more than 400 goals during his international career, ‘The Wizard’ was known for his superb ball control. Dhyan Chand’s name should be announced for Bharat Ratna immediately so that those for whom he was a hero in the real sense of the term, should not feel deprived and cheated,” was the opinion of hockey Olympian, Arjuna awardee and former IGP Surinder Singh Sodhi.

Dr Amandeep Singh, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Physical Education, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, rued, “Hockey lovers and players all over the world have been pleading to confer this prestigious award upon Dhyan Chand for years but the government has shown least urgency. He was a player whose magical stick-work left spectators spellbound. On the one hand, the country is celebrating the birth anniversary of the hockey wizard in the form of National Sports Day, and on the other, he has been kept deprived of the highest civilian award. The saddest part of the story is that the Bharat Ratna has never been conferred upon a sports person but for the exception of Sachin Tendulkar. Keeping stalwarts such as Major Dhyan Chand, Balbir Singh, Milkha Singh and PT Usha bereft of this award is unjustified and discriminatory on the part of the government.”

Hockey Olympian and SP (Headquarters), Pathankot, Gurbaj Singh said, “If the crucial decision of awarding Bharat Ratna to Tendulkar can be taken at a short notice, why is Dhyan Chand still deprived of the honour even after the passing of so many years? The government instantly deciding to confer the award on Sachin Tendulkar, leaving the hockey wizard behind, was too painful for hockey lovers to digest. They waited again for next year but to no avail. It means that the issue has been left far behind for the government to reconsider.”

International basketball coach Teja Singh Dhaliwal rued, “It is shameful for a country like India to keep such stalwarts like Major Dhyan Chand bereft of such a prestigious award. It is all dirty politics going on. The award if conferred would have proved to be a real tribute to the national hero but the government is too busy keeping its own house in order.”