Punjab: Mann, Kejriwal lay foundation stone for over 3100 sports grounds

Bathinda: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday laid the foundation stone for setting up 3,100 sports grounds across the state at an outlay of Rs 1,194 crore.

Addressing a gathering, Kejriwal emphasised that this project aims to channel the boundless energy of the youth in Punjab positively. He announced the initiation of work to create more than 3,100 new playgrounds throughout the state.

These playgrounds are expected to play a crucial role in keeping the youth away from the menace of drugs and helping them pursue their dreams of winning medals in national and international sporting events, he said.

Kejriwal described the initiative as marking a historic day for Punjab. He highlighted that modern playgrounds, equipped with the necessary facilities for sports like volleyball, football, hockey, and athletics, will be established in villages across the state. The government will also provide the necessary sports equipment for these grounds, he stated.

He compared the importance of a good school for education to that of a proper playground, which helps children bring glory to their villages, state, and nation on the world stage.

Noting that before 2022, the budget for sports was only Rs 100 crore, whereas the current government has increased it to Rs 1,000 crore, Kejriwal said, adding that to make Punjab the leading state in sports and to cultivate a sports culture, a new sports policy was introduced in 2023.

Speaking about the state government's ongoing anti-drug campaign 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' in the state, Kejriwal mentioned that strict actions were being taken against drug smugglers.

"For the past 8-10 months, a war against drugs has been ongoing in the state. Major drug smugglers have been put behind bars and their properties are being demolished," he said, adding that massive quantities of heroin, among other drugs, have also been recovered.

Targeting previous governments, Kejriwal accused them of destroying the youth by allowing the drug menace to spread.

"Such a prominent leader is now behind bars. Many believed that nobody could dare to imprison him. But they did not realise what the Bhagwant Mann government could do. Whosoever supplies drugs will not be spared," he said, without naming anyone.

He further said that over the past three years, the Mann government has provided 55,000 jobs purely on merit.

Private companies are setting up their projects in the state, which is expected to generate around 4 lakh jobs for youths in the private sector, he added.

Mann acknowledged that the basic infrastructure for sports fields was previously inadequate but assured that modern playgrounds would now be developed. He expressed pride in Punjab's significant contributions to sports, noting that it is a matter of pride for everyone when the country's flag is raised at international events.

Mann said that it is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that four national teams are captained by Punjabis including Harmanpreet Kaur, Shubman Gill and Harmanpreet Singh.

He noted that nine Punjabi players are members of the national hockey team, reflecting the state's excellence in sports.

The chief minister said that the state government has built substantial sports infrastructure, resulting in multiple generations of families engaging in sports in 'Kheda Watan Punjab Dian'. He emphasised the importance of encouraging players and mentioned that rewards are now given immediately.

As an example, he cited that each Punjabi player on the Indian hockey team received Rs 1 crore for winning medals, inspiring other youth to fulfil their dreams of success. Mann added that cash rewards are now distributed promptly, in contrast to previous times when athletes had to wait long periods for their earnings.

Furthermore, Mann announced that the state government has appointed 300 coaches and is providing Rs 8 lakh to players training for international competitions.