NATIONAL SPORTS DAY
In a country where the people have been conditioned to devote over cricket and football, few know that India relegates an entire day to celebrate the glory of all kinds of sports. The National Sports Day is observed on 29th August every year and coincides with the birthday of legendary Hockey Olympian, Dhyan Chand Singh. The National Sports Day which is also known as the Rashtriya Khel Divas was first inducted into the long list of celebratory days in 2012. Ever since then it has been the centre of attraction for ardent sports lovers of the country. The sole reason behind celebrating National Sports Day lies in championing the spirit of sportsmanship and propagating the message of various sports. The states of Punjab and Haryana are particularly involved in this and the celebrations are done with a lot of pomp and flair. Various competitions are organized ranging from kabaddi, marathon, basketball, tennis, football, cricket among others while talent hunts are conducted at the same time, all in the combined effort to promote sporting talent.
This year’s National Sports Awards ceremony is likely to be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the winners logging in from their respective places to hear their names being announced on August 29. The pandemic had in June forced the ministry to extend the deadline for submission of online applications for the awards. It also allowed athletes to self-nominate in view of the “difficulties” being faced by them in finding people who can recommend their names amid the lockdown. The self-nomination has resulted in a huge number of Applicants for the awards.
On this occasion let’s remember some famous sports personality of Jammu and Kashmir State. Parvez Rasool became the first cricketer from Jammu and Kashmir to represent India in a One-Day International when he took the field against Bangladesh he hails from Bijbehara town of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Amir Hussain Lone, the captain of Jammu and Kashmir Para Cricket team, has been selected to play for India in an upcoming cricket tournament to be played in Lucknow next month. He has become the second cricketer from J&K to play international cricket, after cricketer Parvez Rasool. Interestingly, Rasool and Lone both hail from Bijbehara town of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Mehrajuddin Wadoo is an Indian football player from the state of Jammu and Kashmir who represents The Indian national team and Mumbai FC. Basit and Asrar Kashmir boys played Spanish football club Basit Ahmed and Mohammed Asrar Rehbar, both aged 18. A 19-year-old girl, Nadiya Nighat from the Rambagh area of Srinagar, has defied stereo types by becoming Kashmir’s first female football coach. Afshan Ashique is a female football coach she has been playing football for the last five years and has been training over 30 girls under a state government initiative. Eight-year-old Tajamul Islam scripted history at The World Kickboxing Championship in Italy, where she made India and J & K proud by becoming the first player ever from the sub-junior category to clinch a gold medal at the age of 8 years at Italy.
