The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, has been officially renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Friday. 

Taking to his Twitter handle, PM Modi said that he was receiving a 'lot of requests from citizens' all over the country and took the decision respecting their sentiments.

“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.  Respecting their sentiment,  the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award! Jai Hind!” PM Modi wrote on Twitter.

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.

Respecting their sentiment, the Khel Ratna Award will hereby be called the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award!

Jai Hind! pic.twitter.com/zbStlMNHdq

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 6, 2021

Also known as the ‘hockey wizard’, many considered Major Dhyan Chand to be the biggest sporting icon in the country and it was fitting that the highest sporting honour in the country was named after him. 

Delighted with the decision, many welcomed the move with open arms and thanked the Prime Minister for honouring the popular sentiment and paying tribute to the hockey legend. 

Excellent excellent decision sir. Most countries name their sporting awards after sports legends whereas in India it was named in the honour of Rajiv Gandhi! Why? Maj Dhyan Chand is arguably the greatest sportsman India has produced. Hope he gets Bharat Ratna next.

— THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) August 6, 2021

So proud to hear this.
Khel Ratna must be named after a legend and not a politician.

Bharat Ratna next

— Shashank Shekhar Jha (@shashank_ssj) August 6, 2021

Modi Govt renames Rajiv Khel Ratna award to Major Dhyanchand award. #Burnol moments for pidi gang.

Meanwhile congressis to Modi : pic.twitter.com/viB5BuuptR

— Michael Fernandes (@MiFe007) August 6, 2021

However, a small group of people were still unhappy with the announcement and they expressed their disappointment on the micro-blogging site.

Great decision by Modi Govt to rename Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.

Now I hope they can rename Narendra Modi Stadium and Jaitley Stadium also. Remove all politician names.

— Dhruv Rathee (@dhruv_rathee) August 6, 2021

It's unfortunate. Rajiv Gandhi was PM, he led the country into the 21st century. He encouraged sports, youth. This Govt wants to saffronise & that's why they gave another name: Congress MP K Suresh on Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award renamed as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award pic.twitter.com/xDisFicFIf

— ANI (@ANI) August 6, 2021

Good move
It’s time we remove all politicians’ names from sports stadiums, awards etc

Just like Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna would motivate a player more than Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna

Players wud be motivated to be playing in a player named and not Narendra Modi stadium

— Sakshi Joshi (@sakshijoshii) August 6, 2021

A man who has a stadium named after himself has renamed Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award after Dhyan Chand.

It's great that India's top sports award is named after our first Olympic hero.

But the intent behind it is to take a dig at the Gandhi family.

— Parth MN (@parthpunter) August 6, 2021

#Burnol for the INC members and supporters as the RG Khel Ratna award got renamed after Major Dhyan Chand. Good initiative by Narendra Modi.

Hope he’ll remove his name too from stadiums, websites, and other sections. It’s irksome to spot NaMo’s advertisements, & pics everywhere. pic.twitter.com/8lLmsEYXZf

— 𝐉𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐧 (@aka_dpu) August 6, 2021 

Dhyan Chand, without any doubt, was the biggest sporting icon in pre-independent India and ruled the world of field hockey between 1926 to 1949 shooting over 400 international goals.  

He won three consecutive Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936. He had famously rejected Adolf Hitler’s proposal in 1936 after he had offered him the rank of Field Marshal in his Army and asked him to play hockey for Germany.  

© Twitter

While many would argue the decision should have been made a long time ago, for us it couldn’t have been done at a better time when the entire country is rejoicing with the way our men’s and women’s hockey teams have performed at the ongoing Tokyo Olympics and made the country proud with their historic campaigns. 

While the men’s team won the bronze medal -- their first Olympic medal in 41 years, the women’s team scripted history by reaching the knock-out stage for the first time in Indian history.

© Facebook

The Khel Ratna award was instituted in 1991-92 and chess maestro Viswanathan Anand was the first-ever sportsperson to receive this honour. 

Since then, many popular athletes, including cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Leander Paes, Dhanraj Pillay, Pullela Gopichand, Abhinav Bindra, have been conferred with the award.

This announcement has also given all of us hope that PM Modi will listen to the other demand as well and confer Major Dhyan Chand with the Bharat Ratna -- the highest civilian honour in the country.

View the full article