Irfan Pathan welcomed Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s move.
Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has on Friday (August 6) welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Indian government’s move to rename the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award after the Hockey legend.
On Friday, PM Modi announced that the name of Khel Ratna Award – the highest sporting honor in India – was changed from Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award to Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award after requests from many people across the country for same following India’s men’s and women’s hockey team’s memorable performance in Tokyo Olympics.
However, Pathan welcomed the move but took a dig at the tendency of naming sports stadiums after political dignitaries. Though, the 36-year-old hoped it will be the start of a new trend in sports.
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The former all-rounder has expressed home that the sports stadiums will be named after renowned sporting icons instead of politicians in the future.
Pathan wrote on Twitter: “Absolutely welcome this move. Sportsman getting recognition and award being named after him or her. Hopefully, start of many such things in sports #DhyanChandAward #dhyanchand ji. Hopefully in the future sports stadium names will be after sportsmen too.”
Recently, people had criticized the PM and his associates for naming the newly built Motera Cricket Stadium in Ahmedabad as Narendra Modi Stadium.
However, there are several stadiums named after political leaders in India, including famous Wankhede stadiums in Mumbai, DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, and Arun Jaitley stadium in Delhi.