Union Sports Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Leads Bharat’s Biggest-Ever National Sports Day (NSD) Celebrations
Union Sports Minister, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Leads Bharat’s Biggest-Ever National Sports Day (NSD) Celebrations
Bharat today witnessed one of the largest sporting mobilisations in its history, and certainly the biggest in the world, as approximately 30 crore citizens across all States and Union Territories came together to celebrate National Sports Day 2025, marking the 120th birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand. Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, led the national celebrations with a floral tribute at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in the capital before joining more than 2,000 participants, including officials of the Sports Ministry, Sports Authority of India (SAI), Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), National Sports Federations (NSFs), athletes and coaches at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium for a morning of interactive sporting activities.
आज राष्ट्रीय खेल दिवस के अवसर पर, हॉकी के जादूगर मेजर ध्यानचंद जी को उनकी जयंती पर पुष्पांजलि अर्पित की।
📍मेजर ध्यानचंद नेशनल स्टेडियम, नई दिल्ली pic.twitter.com/dAeAoptmny
The nationwide celebrations began with the Pledge, as millions of citizens reaffirmed their commitment to fitness and wellbeing. The occasion resonated with the Olympic values of Excellence, Friendship and Respect, and Paralympic values of Courage, Determination, Inspiration and Equality, giving the day a unifying spirit of sportsmanship.
From community hockey exhibitions to mass fitness drives in schools, universities, Panchayats and urban local bodies, the day unfolded as a true “Jan Andolan of Sports”. Celebrations took place in every district of Bharat in three distinct ways – through sports academies under SAI, Khelo India and the States and UTs; through organisational participation involving schools, colleges, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), corporates, Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and government offices; and through district-led activities joined by Members of Parliament, legislators, senior leaders, and eminent athletes. No organisation was left behind in the collective effort to transform the day into a people’s festival of sport, truly signifying the slogan of ‘Har Gali, Har Maidaan; Khele Saara Hindustan’.
A big role was played by the Indian Olympic Association, the Paralympic Committee of India and the National Sports Federations, who activated programmes at the grassroots to take sports to the people, rather than people coming to sports. This people-centric approach reinforced the message that sport is not just competition, but a way of life.
जो खेलेगा, वही खिलेगा!#NationalSportsDay2025 पर मैदान में 1 घंटा खेलकर एनर्जी दोगुनी हो गई।
आप भी ज़रूर खेले और मोदी जी के फिट इंडिया अभियान को मजबूत करें। pic.twitter.com/lX9zrbm4AN
Chief Ministers joined from across Bharat, with Shri Yogi Adityanath in Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh), Shri Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru (Karnataka), Shri Mohan Charan Majhi in Bhubaneswar (Odisha), Shri Pema Khandu in Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), and Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami in Dehradun (Uttarakhand) leading their States. Deputy Chief Ministers led the programmes in Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam), Chhattisgarh (Raipur) and Maharashtra (Pune). In other States and UTs, Sports Ministers and senior political representatives added momentum to the movement. Prominent Members of Parliament including Shri Sarbananda Sonowal in Dibrugarh, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur in Hamirpur, Shri Bhupender Yadav in Alwar and Shri Arun Govil in Meerut joined their constituencies to motivate citizens.
A historic moment was created in the national capital when Dr. Mandaviya inaugurated Bharat’s first MONDO Athletics Track at the JLN Stadium. The facility, completed in a record four months by SAI’s engineering wing, was unveiled in the presence of PCI President Devendra Jhajharia, Olympian Anju Bobby George, Secretary Sports Shri Hari Ranjan Rao, Head of World Para Athletics Paul Fitzgerald, para-athletes Sumit Antil, Simran Sharma, Preeti Pal, Praveen Kumar and many others. Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra described the occasion as “a milestone moment for Bharat’s sport”, while Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil hailed the track as “a new vision for excellence in sports that will inspire generations of athletes.”
Union Minister, accompanied by PCI President Devendra Jhajharia, Paralympic gold medallist Sumit Antil, bronze medallist Simran Sharma, double medallist Preeti Pal, gold medallist Praveen Kumar and Olympian Anju Bobby George, also joined a spirited 400m demonstration run on the newly laid track. The morning ended on a lighter note with a cricket match between Ministers XI and Media XI, underscoring the celebratory and inclusive spirit of the day fulfilling the idea of ‘Ek Ghanta Khel ke Maidaan Mein’.
Dr. Mandaviya, in his address, recalled the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and said, “Sports has been an integral part of our life and will always be. A rich variety of sports has been mentioned in our history. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing back this spirit through initiatives like Targeted Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India and Fit India. With the Khelo Bharat Niti and the National Sports Governance Act in place, Bharat is marching ahead towards Viksit Bharat 2047 with the ambition of being among the top five nations at the Olympics. There is no bigger classroom than the sporting arena, and no greater teacher than sports.”
The nationwide fervour also included inclusive initiatives. In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, a 15-day celebration culminated with an underwater tribute to Major Dhyan Chand, symbolising the diversity of participation. Under the umbrella of National Sports Day 2025 in collaboration with Fit India, Isha Gramotsavam, Bharat’s largest rural sports festival organised by Isha Outreach, was also celebrated across seven States. In its 17th edition, it has brought the joy of play and fitness to 35,000 villages with 5,000 teams and 50,000 players, including 5,000 women, participating in volleyball and throwball competitions.
Social media amplified the celebrations with messages pouring in from sportspersons and celebrities alike. Sachin Tendulkar, PV Sindhu, PR Sreejesh, Neeraj Chopra, Yogeshwar Dutt, Mirabai Chanu, Sumit Antil and Anju Bobby George, amongst many others were joined by Ayushmann Khurrana, R. Madhavan, Shilpa Shetty Kundra, Sharvari, Saiyami Kher, and Madhurima Tuli in making National Sports Day a top trend.
आज #NationalSportsDay के अवसर पर JLN स्टेडियम में एथलेटिक ट्रैक (मोंडो) का उद्घाटन किया। इस ट्रैक को भारतीय खेल प्राधिकरण की इंजीनियर टीम ने रिकॉर्ड टाइम में बनाया है।
यह ट्रैक सितंबर में यहां आयोजित होने वाली विश्व पैरा एथलेटिक्स चैंपियनशिपस – 2025 के दृष्टिकोण से लाभकारी… pic.twitter.com/vLymk3k1h1
The celebrations will continue over the next two days as part of a three-day Jan Andolan. Tomorrow, August 30, will feature sports debates & conclaves on Khelo Bharat Niti 2025 and National Sports Governance Act, 2025. The day will also witness competitions in indigenous sports like kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball, sack race and tug of war across the country. On August 31, the celebrations will culminate with Fit India Sundays on Cycle – a nationwide drive to promote cycling as a lifestyle practice on the theme ‘Swadeshi Bharat’. Meanwhile, a National Conclave on Sports Goods Manufacturing will be inaugurated in Delhi tomorrow under the theme of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, with similar conclaves to be held across States to boost domestic sports manufacturing and exports.
From the villages of Tamil Nadu and Odisha to the metros of Delhi and Mumbai, from Himalayan towns to the seas of Andaman, Bharat today spoke in one voice – “Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Mein”. With almost one-fourth of the population joining in unison, National Sports Day 2025 has set a new benchmark for people’s participation and stands as a defining milestone in Bharat’s sporting journey towards Olympic excellence.