In a first-of-its-kind event, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands marked National Sports Day 2025 with a striking underwater tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand at Swaraj Dweep on 29 August. A team of 12 professional divers, accompanied by three officials from the Sports Authority of India, descended beneath the sea carrying placards and banners in honour of the man celebrated as the Wizard of Hockey. Supported by the Department of Education and Sports, the Andaman Association of Tour Operators, and Dive Colours, the tribute highlighted both the sporting spirit and the islands’ deep connection with their marine environment.
The event formed the centrepiece of the Fit India Andaman Nicobar Khel Mahotsav 2025, a two-week festival held across the islands from 15 to 31 August. The Mahotsav began on Independence Day with the ceremonial launch of three Olympic-style Flame of Fitness torches symbolising Excellence, Friendship, and Respect. These torches were designed with motifs unique to the islands, including the Cellular Jail crown, dugong, hornbill, mangrove roots, and the Olympic rings, blending local heritage with global sporting ideals.
Over the course of the fortnight, the torches travelled across the three districts, Nicobar, South Andaman, and North & Middle Andaman, covering more than 505 kilometres and reaching 225 schools. The relay turned into a massive community celebration with 25,958 participants, including students, teachers, athletes, local leaders, and residents, joining hands in the spirit of fitness and unity. The participation levels reflected how the Mahotsav successfully moved beyond being a formal sporting event to becoming a people’s movement across the archipelago.
Alongside the torch relay, a range of sporting and cultural activities brought communities together. Schools competed in athletics, football, volleyball, and indigenous games, while beach sports and kayaking showcased the islands’ coastal strengths. Rope skipping challenges, mass fitness drills, and cultural performances added variety to the programme. Awareness drives on health and anti-drug campaigns ran parallel, using the platform of sport to promote social well-being.
The Mahotsav was also marked by an inclusive approach. Children with Special Needs and Persons with Disabilities were given dedicated opportunities to participate, ensuring that fitness and sport were accessible to all sections of society. This emphasis on inclusivity underscored the broader message that sport is not only about competition but also about empowerment and community belonging.
The underwater homage to Major Dhyan Chand stood out as the symbolic highlight of the celebrations. For the islands, surrounded by the sea and known for their unique marine heritage, the act of honouring the hockey icon beneath the ocean’s surface carried a powerful message of creativity and pride. It also reinforced the theme that the Flame of Fitness burns not just on land but across the seas and even underwater, resonating with the values of resilience and innovation.
Regional Director of the Sports Authority of India, Amar Jyoti, emphasised that the day was both a tribute to Dhyan Chand and a reminder of how sport must touch every life and every corner of the nation. The underwater homage, combined with the community-driven torch relay, reflected this message in a way that was both innovative and deeply symbolic.
By the time the Fit India Andaman Nicobar Khel Mahotsav 2025 concluded, it had woven together the Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect with local pride and widespread participation. For the islands, the celebration stood out as one of the most memorable and imaginative National Sports Day observances, underlining the power of sport to unite people, inspire communities, and honour legacies in ways that connect heritage with the present.
