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'We never asked, people demanded Bharat Ratna for Dhyanchand'
Updated On: 29 August, 2020 10:31 AM IST | New Delhi | IANS
Remembering his father on his 115th birth anniversary, Ashok said that India honours the hockey legend Dhyanchand by celebrating National Sports Day on his birthday on August 29 every year.
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On National Sports Day, Kiren Rijiju paid floral tribute to Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Pic/ Kiren Rijiju Twitter
In the autumn of 1931, iconic Hollywood star Charlie Chaplin had a brief meeting with Mahatma Gandhi in a humble little house in East India Dock Road in London. A year later, in Los Angeles, Charlie Chaplin had another memorable meeting with another Indian icon, Major Dhyanchand. The hockey wizard, who registered some of the biggest wins in the game, was an instant star at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics after winning the gold for India. "Charlie Chaplin came to the Olympic village and met Dada (Dhyanchand) and his other teammates. The American media highlighted the meeting," revealed Ashok Dhyanchand, World Cup winner and son of the hockey legend, who along with several Olympians has demanded Bharat Ratna for Dhyanchand.
Remembering his father on his 115th birth anniversary, Ashok said that India honours the hockey legend by celebrating National Sports Day on his birthday on August 29 every year. "This is an honour not only for our family but for all sports loving people of the country. And to be true, the Bharat Ratna for Dhyanchand has been demanded by the people of India, and not by us. It's for the government to decide. As far as I know, the Sports Ministry (during UPA-2) had recommended Bharat Ratna for Dada, but somehow the final approval on the file was for Sachin (Tendulkar)," said Ashok, who scored the winning goal against Pakistan in India's maiden World Cup title at Kualalumpur in 1975.
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