Games across globe as India celebrates National Sports Day (in pics)

Bangalore, Aug 29: National Sports Day is being celebrated across the country today to commemorate the birth anniversary of Indian hockey legend Dhyan Chand.

Various sporting events such as walkathon and football tournaments are being held across the country for the first time as a part of the celebrations, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said on Tuesday.

The government has also planned many programmes to spread sports to every corner of the country by creating a nation wide awareness about the fruitful side of sports. "We need to build a sports culture in the country and should take sports as seriously as the other sporting nation do. Our sports person do not get the respect that they deserve," Onkar Kedia, Joint secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports said.

There are some pictures from sports being played across the world.

In New York

Jie Zheng of China returns a shot to Venus Williams during the second round of the 2013 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, in New York.

In Barcelona

FC Barcelona's Lionel Messi from Argentina, left, duels for the ball against Atletico Madrid's Koke Resurreccion during a final Spanish Super Cup at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013. Barcelona won the Spanish Super Cup on Wednesday.

In Hyderabad

Saina Nehwal of Hyderabad Hotshots during the match against Schenk Juliane of Pune Pistons at the women's Semi final at IBL 2013 in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

In Hyderabad

Ajay Jayaram of Hyderabad Hotshots celebrates after defeating Tien Minh Nyugen of Pune Pistons in the men's semifinal at IBL 2013 in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

In New York

Somdev Devvarman, of India, returns a shot to Lukas Lacko, of Slovakia, during the first round of the 2013 U.S. Open tennis tournament, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2013, in New York.

In London

Swansea City's Pablo Hernandez, left, is tackled by Tottenham Hotspur's Jan Vertonghen during their English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane, London, Sunday, Aug. 25, 2013.

In London

England's Ian Bell is run out which led to the umpires calling bad light during day five of the fifth Ashes Test match at The Oval, London, Sunday Aug. 25, 2013.

OneIndia News