National Sports Day in India is observed on August 29 to honour the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, the legendary hockey player celebrated as one of the greatest in the sport’s history.
The theme of National Sports Day 2025 is “Sport to Promote Peaceful and Inclusive Societies.” It emphasises the power of sports to unite people, break down barriers, encourage teamwork, and build harmony across regions, religions, and diverse backgrounds.
On this occasion, check a list of national and state level sports universities of India, where sports enthusiasts can enroll and follow in the footsteps of Major Dhyan Chand:
National Sports University (NSU), Manipur
NSU is a central university, located in Imphal, Manipur with specialisation in sports. The foundation of this university was laid in 2018 by PM Narendra Modi. Courses offered are Bachelor of Physical Education & Sports, BSc, MSc and MA, and all courses are affiliated with UGC.
Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE), Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh)
LNIPE was established in 1957, and operates under the aegis of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The institute operates through the following departments: Department of Physical Education Pedagogy, Department of Exercise Physiology, Department of Sports Psychology, Department of Sports Biomechanics, Department of Health Sciences and Fitness, Centre for Sports Coaching and Management, Centre for Advanced Studies.
Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University (TNPESU), Chennai
Established in 2005, this is a state-run university in Chennai, and the reportedly the first public sports university established in India. This residential university offers courses such as BSc, MSc, MPhil, PhD, MTech, MBA, MA, BPED, MPED, BPES.
Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala)
part of the academic wing of the Sports Authority of India, this college was established in 1985 under the auspices of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. The college offers facilities to promote physical education, sports, and teacher training through undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programmes.
Swarnim Gujarat Sports University, Gandhinagar (Gujarat)
This residential university is the second Sports University established by any State Government in India after Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University. Affiliated colleges in the category of Grant-in-aid colleges are Shri C. P. Degree College of Physical Education and Degree College of Physical Education, Mahemdavad. Self-financed colleges are S.S. Patel College of Physical Education, V.J. Patel College of Physical Education, Shri K.K Dharaiya B.P.Ed. College, Dr. Subhash B.P.Ed. College, L.J. Institutes of Sports Management, L.J. Institutes of Event Management.
Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar (Punjab)
Known for strong sports education programmes and achievements, this public state university was established in 1969, and is named after the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev. The varsity was ranked 48th among universities in India in NIRF 2023 and 87th overall.
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala (Punjab)
Commonly known as National Institute of Sports (NIS), NSNIS was established 64 years ago and is the academic wing of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). It is also Asia’s largest sports institute located in city of Patiala. Known as “Mecca of Indian Sports,” affiliated with sports sciences training, this varsity houses several items of sports memorabilia, like a hass weighing 95 kg, used by The Great Gama, Major Dhyan Chand’s gold medal from the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, and PT Usha’s 1986 Seoul Asiad shoes.