CHANDIGARH, March 24: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann declared on Tuesday that Punjab’s sporting culture is back on track, highlighted by the upcoming Hockey Asian Champions Trophy and a proposed annual Four Nation Hockey Tournament. Speaking in Chandigarh, the Chief Minister affirmed that despite Punjab’s legendary contributions to Indian hockey, previous administrations had never secured an international tournament for the state.
The Chief Minister asserted that the current government is the only one in India to allocate ₹1,791 crore toward sports development. He maintained that this funding is being utilized to build a robust foundation, including the replacement of hockey AstroTurf in Mohali, Bathinda, and Ludhiana, and the construction of a ₹9 crore synthetic track in Mohali. He also noted that the daily diet allowance for training athletes has been doubled from ₹240 to ₹480.
The report card presented by the Chief Minister detailed the recruitment of over 300 new coaches and the creation of a specialized Sports Medicine Cadre, with 92 doctors and physiotherapists already deployed. CM Mann stated that the revival of the Kila Raipur Sports Festival, often called the “Mini Olympics,” through 2025 legislation is another key achievement of the “Khed Kranti” movement.
Beyond professional athletics, the state has focused on rural infrastructure by developing thousands of playgrounds at a cost of ₹1,350 crore. The Chief Minister declared that 17,000 sports kits have been distributed to ensure that youth have the necessary equipment to excel. He affirmed that these efforts honor Punjab’s legacy, which spans from the physical training traditions of the Sikh Gurus to the modern achievements of Olympic captains like Harmanpreet Singh and Manpreet Singh.
