Confer Bharat Ratna to Dhyan Chand: HIL chief Batra

Bhubaneswar: Demand for honouring Dhyan Chand with Bharat Ratna got louder today with Hockey India League asking the government to confer the country's highest civilian award to the hockey wizard.

 

"We welcome the Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar. We will be happy if the government of India also announces the name of Dhyan Chand for the highest civilian award,"

 

HIL chairman and Hockey India Secretary General Narendra Batra said here. "As chairman of HIL, I will take up the matter with the Ministry of Sports soon," Batra, who was here for launching of Kalinga Lancers, the sixth franchisee in the the second edition of HIL, said.

 

HIL vice-president Pratap Satpathy said that Dhyan Chand was the greatest hockey player of all times and he was instrumental in taking India in international sport map.

 

"We are not opposed to the Bharat Ratna for (Sachin) Tendulkar. But, it would be injustice if Dhyan Chand is not conferred with the highest civilian award," he said.