India will mark National Sports Day 2025 with an unprecedented three-day nationwide movement from August 29 to 31, transforming the annual observance into a mass celebration of sports and fitness. Led by the Fit India Mission and inspired by the legacy of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, the initiative will mobilise citizens across Bharat under the theme ‘Ek Ghanta, Khel ke Maidan Main’.
Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, will spearhead the campaign, which aims to unite over 350 million students, youth clubs, volunteers, RWAs, Panchayats, urban local bodies, corporates, PSUs, and sports federations. The movement will honour Olympic and Paralympic values while promoting daily physical activity to combat lifestyle diseases.
Athletes including Pranav Soorma, Sumit Antil, Shreyasi Singh, Bhavani Devi and Vishnu Saravanan will participate in events from their hometowns or training bases. Eminent sportspersons such as Abhinav Bindra, Sunil Chhetri, Murali Sreeshankar, PV Sindhu, Manika Batra and Mirabai Chanu have also urged citizens to join the celebrations.
States and UTs including Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman & Nicobar Islands have begun preparations. Chief Ministers are personally overseeing arrangements and will join local events on August 29.
The three-day programme will begin with tributes to Major Dhyan Chand and the Fit India Pledge, followed by one hour of sports. Day two will feature debates, fitness talks and competitions in indigenous games such as kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball, sack race and tug of war. The final day will culminate with Fit India Sundays on Cycle, a nationwide drive to promote cycling.
Activities will be inclusive of all age groups, from children to senior citizens, and institutions are encouraged to use the Fit India Mobile App for tracking participation. A National Conclave on Sports Manufacturing will be held under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat theme, and the Fit India App will introduce a Carbon Savings Incentivisation feature to promote eco-friendly habits.
The celebrations align with India’s vision of hosting the Olympic Games in 2036 and aim to foster a culture of mass participation in both modern and traditional sports. With the motto ‘Har Gali, Har Maidan, Khele Saara Hindustan’, the movement seeks to embed fitness into daily life and inspire a healthier, more active nation.
