Dhyan Chand being considered for Bharat Ratna

Dhyan Chand

India’s Sports Minister Jitendra Singh has said that the government is considering conferring the Bharat Ratna on Dhyan Chand for his contribution to the game of hockey.

Dhyan Chand is widely considered as the greatest hockey player of all time. The hockey wizard won three Olympic Golds and scored over 400 international goals in his illustrious career.

Chand’s birthday – 29th August – is celebrated as National Sports Day in the country.

Last month, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar became the first sportsperson to be conferred with the Bharat Ratna.

Jitendra also spoke about the stand-off between the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), saying that the government is trying its best to resolve the issue. Indian athletes face the threat of not being able to participate in the Olympics under the India flag if the deadlock continues.