Athletes who were honoured on National Sports Day by Bihar Government in Patna on August 29, 2026. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
Patna: On the occasion of National Sports Day, celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand, outstanding athletes and coaches from Bihar were honoured at the Pataliputra Sports Complex on Saturday. The chief guest, Patna High Court judge Justice Rana Vikram Singh, along with Bihar Advocate General Satyadarshi Sanjay and Director General of Police Vinay Kumar, presented mementoes to the state’s outstanding sportspersons and coaches.
Sports Department Secretary Deepak Anand, Bihar State Sports Authority Director General-cum-Chief Executive Officer Raveendran Sankaran, Sports Department Director Arif Ahsan, Assistant Director Sanjay Kumar, the Authority’s Executive Director Ravindra Nath Chaudhary, Deputy Director Himanshu Singh, Sports Executive Anandi Kumar and Chandan Kumar Singh were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Justice Rana Vikram Singh congratulated all the athletes and said hard work, continuous effort, dedication and patience play the most important role in achieving success in any field. He said the same principles applied to sportspersons as well. Encouraging the athletes, he urged them to continue performing well and bring laurels to the state and the country.
In his welcome address, Sports Department Secretary Deepak Anand congratulated the athletes and guests and detailed the policy-level and grassroots initiatives and schemes being implemented by the government for the overall development of sports and sportspersons in Bihar. He assured the athletes that the government would always extend all possible support and make every effort for their development.
He said the athletes should concentrate on improving their performance so that they could win more medals for Bihar and India and enhance the prestige of both the state and the country.
Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveendran Sankaran welcomed the gathering and introduced the athletes and coaches being honoured. He said the state traditionally holds its Sports Awards ceremony on National Sports Day, but from this year the ceremony would be held on December 3, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, to honour and encourage para-athletes.
He said five athletes from Bihar had represented India at the previous Asian Games, while this time 10 athletes from the state are representing the country, including four para-athletes. He described this as a matter of great pride for Bihar.
He said the target was to increase the participation of Bihar’s athletes in the 2028 Olympics and develop sportspersons capable of winning medals for India at the 2036 Olympics. He added that all government efforts were being directed towards achieving these goals.
Before the main programme, the Bihar State Sports Authority took a special initiative on National Sports Day. More than 100 children living in slums around the sports complex were introduced to sports such as football, cricket, wall climbing and archery and given an opportunity to participate.
The initiative was aimed at introducing underprivileged children to sporting culture and encouraging their interest in sports. The Sports Authority also distributed footballs, cricket bats, wickets, T-shirts, caps and refreshments among the children.
The 12 outstanding athletes honoured on the occasion were:
1. Piyush Raj — Athletics
2. Alpana Kumari — Rugby
3. Sapna Kumari — Rugby
4. Shruti Kumari — Football
5. Sneha Verma — Sepak Takraw
6. Tushar — Fencing
7. Mohammad Rayan — Chess
8. Jhandu Kumar — Powerlifting
9. Soman Rana — Shot Put
10. Setu Mishra — Athletics
11. Vibhaskar Kumar — Athletics
12. Sagar Prakash — Rugby
Divyansh Raj’s mother and Vibhaskar Kumar’s father received the honours on their behalf.
The coaches and referees honoured were:
1. Sandeep Kumar — Secretary, Bihar Para Sports Association and international para-athlete
2. Ranjit Rana — International kabaddi referee
3. Sunil Kumar Jha — Former Bihar hockey player
4. Gavin Ferreira — Former Olympian and international hockey player, currently a hockey coach
5. Sanjay Pathak — Founder and head coach, Rani Lakshmibai Academy, Siwan
Sports kits under the Sports Scholarship Scheme were also distributed to cycling players Prince Kumar, Sonu Kumar, Badal Kumar, Ragini Kumari and Srishti Kumari and
Shreyansh Yadav (swimmer).
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