LUCKNOW, Aug. 30 -- Paying tribute to "hockey magician" Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary, which is marked as National Sports Day, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said every sportsperson is a hero of the society. Every citizen should embody the spirit of a sportsperson, dedication to the nation, discipline, coordination, and the pursuit of excellence in life, he added. He was addressing a gathering of present and former sportspersons at the Vijayant Khand Stadium in Lucknow. He also felicitated 88 medal-winning players from Uttar Pradesh with prize money and handed over appointment letters to newly selected assistant sports trainers. The chief minister also felicitated athletes, who won medals at the National Games, including former Olympians and Arjuna Awardees, besides inaugurating sports infrastructure projects in various districts. Speaking about Major Dhyan Chand, the chief minister said, "Whenever his name is mentioned, every Indian instinctively thinks of a hockey stick. With his talent and dedication, he gave Indian hockey global recognition by winning three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936." He recalled that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country's highest sporting honour-the Khel Ratna-was renamed after Major Dhyan Chand, a matter of pride for the nation, especially for Uttar Pradesh, his birthplace. He also highlighted that the state's first sports university, located in Meerut, has been named after the hockey legend, and academic courses have commenced there from this session. He witnessed a hockey match between the Sports Hostel and the Sports College at the Padma Shri Mohd Shahid Hockey Stadium. He further stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, initiatives such as Khelo India, Fit India Movement, and sports competitions at the MP and MLA levels have ushered in a sporting revolution across the country. Uttar Pradesh is also implementing a new sports policy to provide players with platforms, quality coaching and world-class infrastructure. He announced that a sports college is being established in every commissionerate. The CM also announced that, following National Sports Day, MP-level sports competitions will be held across the country from September 17 to October 2, while the sports and youth welfare department will organise MLA-level sports competitions beforehand....