What if the hour spent on a football field could also strengthen concentration, emotional balance and problem solving? That is the bigger lesson behind National Sports Day, observed in India on 29 August to commemorate hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, whose birthday is celebrated as a tribute to his contribution to Indian sport. The day has been observed since 2012.
- Active bodies support active minds
- Regular physical activity for children is linked with attention, executive function and cognitive performance.
- A meta-analysis of 31 intervention studies involving children aged 6 to 12 found positive effects of physical activity on executive functions and attention.
- A systematic review of randomised controlled trials found that 80% of the included studies reported positive effects of physical activity on cognition.
- Sport can help children manage emotional pressure
- Exercise is not simply about physical fitness. Research involving 21 systematic reviews and 375 randomised controlled trials found that exercise reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety among children and adolescents aged 5 to 18.
- Team sports can additionally provide opportunities to practise communication, cooperation, resilience and handling setbacks.
- Parents can help by treating sport as part of a healthy routine rather than removing it whenever examinations approach.
- Sixty minutes can make a difference
- The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day for children and adolescents aged 5 to 17, including play, sports, active travel and physical education.
- A practical routine could combine cycling, football, badminton, swimming, dancing, running or active games according to age, ability and interest.
- At Narayana Schools sport is part of holistic learning
Narayana Schools’ nSports Programme combines age-appropriate physical education with fitness, leadership, discipline, teamwork, sportsmanship and perseverance.
- eKidz (Nursery – UKG): Builds foundational movement skills such as throwing, catching, balancing and kicking.
- EChamps (Classes 1 – 5): Introduces sports including throw ball, kabaddi, badminton, football, Frisbee, Kho-Kho and athletics.
- ETechno (Classes 6 – 10): Introduced to basketball, volleyball, etc., and develop advanced sporting skills through specialised training, conditioning and competitive leagues.
- Inclusive participation: Encourages every student to participate, discover interests and build confidence.
- Summer Sports Camp: Provides structured holiday training guided by coaches.
- Narayana Premier League (NPL): Creates opportunities to compete across grade, house and zone levels.
- Sports Achievement Reward Policy: Recognises sporting excellence with cash rewards ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹10,000 for student achievers at district, state, national and international levels. International participants receive ₹10,000, while national-level gold, silver and bronze medallists receive ₹6,000, ₹5,000 and ₹4,000, respectively, encouraging students to pursue sporting excellence with greater motivation.
With nSports spanning 550+ school campuses with 660 Physical Education teachers, the focus extends to nurturing fit, confident and resilient individuals, as we believe every step on the field can build the character and confidence needed to pursue bigger dreams, because at Narayana Schools, your dreams are our dreams.