The NEP 2020 has given a radical framework of changes within the education system and emphasizes the integration of physical fitness and cognitive development with sports as part of regular academic learning. As an extension of this idea, the third day of Shiksha Saptah was celebrated as Sports Day as part of a week-long annual celebration on various facets of education. Many schools all over the country quickly became party to this initiative by setting up a host of sporting activities that helped in improving their physical capacity, strategic thinking, and other teaming skills.

While envisioning holistic education, NEP 2020 foresees an integral contribution from physical education and sports to learners’ development. It recognizes that sports is not only essential in the fostering of fitness but also instills key life skills such as discipline, leadership, perseverance, and collaboration. By incorporating sports into the curriculum of academics, the 2020 National Education Policy will have accomplished an engaging and rounded educational experience for students.

Sporting activities that ranged from traditional kabaddi and kho-kho to the more modern games in practice these days, like basketball, football, and volleyball, were organized by various urban and rural schools on the day of sports. Basically, all such activities were oriented to involve every child, be that with age and ability, for ensuring participation and engagement. Teachers and coaches help the students in respective activities, mainly regarding sportsmanship, team spirit, and strategic planning.

These activities regarding sports do not only prove convenient in terms of physical exercise but also bring about a lot of learning regarding strategic thinking and solving problems. Students are encouraged to devise game plans, watch out for opponents’ moves, and alter the same in real-time. In this way, cognitive abilities and decision-making skills are developed. Further, the team-building approach emphasized working together toward common goals, a skill that is indispensable in both academic and professional settings.

Sports Day celebrations were friendly and energetic. Many schools took inter-class and inter-school tournaments whereby the children got to be involved in competing with one another in an amicable yet competitive setting. Much excitement was experienced with cheering on by students of their peers, and the sportsmanship was outstanding despite the outcomes.

Parents and the local community were also involved in the day’s activities. Many schools invited parents to come and watch their children participate in sports, thus fostering a sense of community and shared responsibility in the development of the whole student. There are also regions that invite some local sports personalities and alumni to motivate the students by inspiring them with their experiences and ideas on the sporting world.

The real success of Sports Day reverberated across India, fitting deep within the holistic approach toward education that NEP 2020 had effectuated. Schools’ integration of sport as part of the students’ academic curriculum allows them to develop not only their physical health but also most of the critical cognitive and social skills necessary in life. This development model is sure to give the world a generation of well-rounded individuals better able to face the challenges of tomorrow.

The third day of Shiksha Saptah was observed as Sports Day, denoting transformation toward NEP 2020. The goal of this policy, which envisages holistic development of students, was emulated in a big way by schools all over the country, since physical education is an inseparable part of the integral growth of both mind and body.