Highlights:
- The Prime Minister stated that he had received numerous demands to change the award’s name.
- India’s both men’s and women’s hockey teams performed admirably at the Tokyo Olympics, prompting the announcement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today that the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India’s highest sporting honour, will be renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. Dhyan Chand, the ultimate hockey hero and a legend, is honoured with the renaming. The move lessens and overlooks the name of Congress’s former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The move, according to the Prime Minister, was made in response to countless demands from across the country.
“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.
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“Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award!” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with #JaiHind.
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.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021
Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award!
Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/zbStlMNHdq
The shift comes on the same day that India’s women’s hockey team nearly missed out on a bronze medal at the Toyko Olympics, drawing curtains on its energetic performance. The men’s hockey team had just earned Olympic bronze after a 41-year wait.
“The Men’s and Women’s Hockey Teams’ outstanding performances have caught the attention of the entire country. Hockey is regaining popularity across India. This is a really encouraging sign for the future,” Just before announcing the new name for the award, the Prime Minister added in another tweet.
