Union sports minister, Vijay Goel has asked the Prime Minister to give Bharat Ratna (posthumously) award to the legendary Hockey player, major Dhyan Chand, and he is quite sure that PM Modi will give attention on this matter. This is a request pending for a long time. The request was made back when Sachin Tendulkar became the first sportsperson to be awarded India’s highest civilian honour.
Dhyaan Chand (1905-1979) led India to win three gold medals at the Olympics (1928, 1932, and 1936). According to Vijay Goel, “Yes, we have written to the Prime Minister about Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand. Conferring him with the honour posthumously will be a fitting tribute to his exceptional service to the country.”
Since the time Sachin was awarded Bharat Ratna, a campaign had been running by former Indian Hockey captains Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal, Dilip Tirkey, and Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar so that Major Dhyaan Chand also receives this honour.