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International level players will be produced from villages of Punjab- CM Mann

• 3,100 rural sports grounds are being developed across Punjab, all the remaining grounds will also be dedicated to the people in a phased manner by July 15: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• The aim of AAP government is to keep the youth away from drugs and to make the players capable of competing at national and international level: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• All rural sports grounds will have flood lights, walking and running tracks and courts for volleyball, football and hockey: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• Our government will provide sports material, coaches and free training to players in every rural sports ground: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• For the first time, Punjab got the opportunity to host the Asian Hockey Championship trophy, the championship will be held in October: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• Earlier the sports budget was less than Rs 200 crore, while our government increased it to Rs 1,790 crore: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• Traditional Kila Raipur bullock cart race known as ‘Rural Olympics’ restarted through legal amendments: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• Previous governments kept trumpeting about empty coffers; Our government is making development worth crores in every village from the same treasury: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann
• Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met village players, distributed kits and played volleyball with women players on the volleyball court.

Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali); 4 May 2026:

Keeping Punjab’s villages at the center of sports infrastructure development, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann will dedicate to the people 3,100 sports grounds with world-class facilities across the state by July 15, of which he inaugurated 250 sports grounds today. Noting the important role of sports in eradicating the problem of drug addiction among the youth, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann is not only developing the infrastructure but is also promoting this step more and more by providing free training, professional coaches and sports equipment to the youth with the aim of producing players capable of competing at the national and international level.

Talking about investment in sports, he said that his government has increased the sports budget, which was earlier less than Rs 200 crore, to Rs 1,790 crore. Along with this, efforts are being made to revive the sports heritage of Punjab through the launch of Kila Raipur ‘Rural Olympics’. Punjab is going to host the Asian Hockey Championship for the first time. It is noteworthy that the Bhagwant Mann government is pursuing the vision of putting the state firmly on the sports map of the country and the entire world. The Chief Minister said that the state government is ensuring the development of every village with the same treasury, which the previous governments claimed to be empty.

After inaugurating 250 newly constructed rural sports grounds, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the AAP government is making massive efforts to change the sports environment of the state, with the clear objective of keeping the youth away from drugs and channelizing their energy in a constructive direction. He said promoting sports culture could be the state government’s most effective tool in its war against drugs. Sports are being promoted more and more to channelize the immense energy of the youth in the right direction so that they can achieve great success in sports. He said that the youth who are engaged in sports do not even have time to look at drugs because their entire focus is on achieving heights in their respective fields.

He further said that this will prove to be more helpful in eliminating the stigma of drugs from the state and making the youth equal partners in socio-economic development.

Giving details about this initiative, the Chief Minister said that to ensure healthy body and fit mind of the youth, Punjab Government is developing 3,100 rural sports grounds equipped with modern facilities across the state at a cost of Rs 1,250 crore under the first phase. Of these, 250 grounds have been dedicated today and all the remaining grounds will be dedicated in a phased manner by July 15. Giving more details about its phased implementation, 250 grounds have been dedicated today and the remaining 500 grounds will be dedicated on May 15, 250 grounds on May 31, 500 grounds on June 15, 1,000 grounds on June 30 and 600 grounds on July 15.

Emphasizing the role of these grounds in the anti-drug campaign, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “These rural sports grounds will play an important and revolutionary role in the ‘War on Drugs’ campaign. They will not only encourage the youth to stay away from drugs, but will also help in realizing their dreams of winning medals at the national and international level. These grounds will act as a ray of hope for the budding players and will nurture the sports culture in Punjab.”

Giving details of the facilities, he said, “Each ground will have boundary walls with saplings planted along its perimeter, a six-feet wide walking track and flood lights for morning and evening hours. Apart from this, there will also be courts for volleyball, football and hockey along with additional courts for locally popular sports.” He further said, “The facilities will also have a 400 meter six-lane running track, large capacity lighting facility, submersible pumps with sprinkler system, concrete benches, children’s play area, toilets for men and women, wheelchair ramps and storage facilities for sports equipment.”

Regarding training and assistance, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “Special attention is being given to distribution of sports kits and equipment and to provide quality training to the youth. Football and volleyball coaches will be appointed for all grounds and children will be given free training so that they can achieve success at the national and international level.” He further said, “Rural sports and fitness committees will be formed to maintain these grounds.”

Referring to the financial commitment, he said, “The state has made a historic increase in the sports budget, under which Rs 1791 crore has been allocated for 2026-27. A new sports policy introduced in the year 2023 ensures financial support to the youth for preparation, with Rs 15 lakh for the Olympics and Rs 8 lakh for the Asian Games.” He further said, “Paris Olympics bronze medal winning hockey players have been given Rs 1 crore each, Asian Games gold medal winners Rs 1 crore each and nine Olympic medal winners have been given PCS and DSP jobs.”

The Chief Minister said, “‘Khedaan Watan Punjab Diyan’ has promoted a strong sports culture in the state. These games were conducted for three years to prepare the youth for national and international competitions, in which 5 lakh players participated during 2024-25 and Rs 97.3 crore was spent in three years.”

On reviving traditional sports, he said, “Kila Raipur Rural Games have gained global recognition as ‘Mini Olympics’. The Punjab Legislative Assembly on July 11, 2025 unanimously passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Act, 2025, thereby reviving traditional rural sports like bullock cart racing. These races once again became the center of attraction this year after the year 2014.”

Citing Punjab’s growing stature in sports, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, “It is a matter of great pride that for the first time Punjab has got the opportunity to host an international event in the form of ‘Asian Champions Trophy Hockey’. Despite the strong Punjabi representation, Punjab has never hosted any major hockey tournament till now. The matches will be held at Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Stadium and Surjeet Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.”

On this occasion, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met the players of the village, distributed kits and also encouraged the women players on the volleyball court.

Making the event more encouraging, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann closely interacted with the young players of the village, distributed sports kits and honored them for their enthusiasm and dedication towards sports. Accepting praise from the people, she also played volleyball with women players in the volleyball court and inspired them to pursue sports with confidence and commitment.

The focus of the Bhagwant Mann government is not just on building infrastructure but also on fostering trust, inclusivity and a strong sports culture at the grassroots level. Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund and others were also present on the occasion.