NATIONAL SPORTS DAY 2023: India celebrates National Sports Day on August 29 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, also known as the ‘Wizard of Hockey’. The day is also aimed at promoting sports and highlighting the importance of physical fitness.
Date and history
National Sports Day was first celebrated in 2012. It marks the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, regarded as one of the best players to ever play the sport.
Celebration
Several awards like Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna (formerly called the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna), Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award are also given by the President of India to the country’s sportspersons on National Sports Day.
Schools, colleges, and sports academies organise competitions and other events to raise awareness about sports and its benefits.
What is the role of schools in promoting sports and physical fitness?
The educational institutions of our country have a social responsibility to promote physical fitness among students. Sports and physical education in schools have proven to enhance learning and academic performance among children. They help in reducing absenteeism and improve overall school morale.
The importance of adopting sports and physical education was recognised with the formulation of the National Sports Policy in 1984. Its objective was to raise the standard of sports in the country.
Schools play a major role in the physical growth of children. The administration must include extracurricular sports activities and encourage students to participate it in. They can also create strategies to improve student activeness.
Schools must encourage and promote healthy eating habits by coordinating with their cafeterias to decide on a healthy menu. Nutrition programmes and seminars can also be organised. Students should be provided with informative material about the benefits of sports and physical activities.
Physical education activities for schools
Here are certain activities that can be introduced amongst students to promote physical fitness. These include:
- Team sports
Team sports played by teams can bring out an individual’s competitiveness and give them the motivation to play games like basketball, football and cricket. - Individual sports
Several individual sports can be played in schools to help keep students active. These include tennis, swimming and races. - Fitness exercises
Schools can also promote conventional forms of exercise including running, jogging, walking and stretching. - Adventure activities
Schools can also organize some outdoor adventure activities by taking their students for hiking, camping and rock climbing. - Dance
Physical fitness can also be achieved by practicing dance forms. - Yoga
Yoga is another way to stay fit. It helps connect your mind to your body.