The National Cadet Corps is the youth wing of the Indian Armed Forces, functioning under the Ministry of Defence and open to school and college students on a voluntary basis. It is a tri-services organisation, with Army, Navy and Air Wings, and its stated aim is to develop character, discipline and leadership among young people rather than to train them specifically for military service. Its motto is Unity and Discipline. The venue chosen for the Cyclothon carries its own significance: the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in New Delhi is named after the hockey player regarded as the greatest India has produced, whose birthday is observed as National Sports Day.