Amritsar: Kukranwala athletes demand better sports infrastructure

Manmeet Singh Gill

Amritsar, July 11

Against all odds, four local athletes from villages near Kukranwala area have managed to win five gold medals in the All India Athletics Championship held at Rurki recently. But they are still unable to win hearts of local politicians and sports officials.

The athletes practise at Kukranwala, which only has a dusty track and a peripheral wall of the play compound in the name of sports infrastructure.

They have potential to make country proud

It is only due to the sheer hard work that local youth have won medals in the national event. If they get proper facilities and guidance, these athletes have the potential to make the country proud at the international level. Rajinder Singh Chinna, athletics coach

Of these four athletes Arshdeep Singh won gold medals in 200 metre sprint race and long jump, Gurpreet Singh won gold medal in 1,500 metre race, Vishal won gold medal in 100 metre sprint and Jaspal Kaur won gold medal in 400 metre race in the championship held on June 25 and 26.

The sportspersons complained that apart from the dusty track, they do not have any other facility. The ground does not even have jump pits and work hurdles required for athletes, they said.

The athletes complained that they do not have decent sports infrastructure. Though the area had a large playground, it does not even have basic amenities like drinking water and urinals, they said.

The area residents said the previous government had only constructed the peripheral wall of the playground on the name of creating sports infrastructure for the youth of the border belt.

Athletics coach Rajinder Singh Chinna said, “It is only due to the sheer hard work that local youth have won medals in the national event. If they get proper facilities and guidance, these athletes have the potential to make the country proud at the international level.”

He added that a synthetic track for athletes was the need of the hour, a request for which was made to the Cabinet Minister so that more youth from the area could shine in sports.

Kirti Kisan Union Punjab leader Dhanwant Singh Khatraekalan said, “Rural youth can do better in sports if they are provided facilities. Considering the potential of sports in the area, the government should arrange coaches for athletes.” He added that athletes, along with farmers’ leaders, had met Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal and asked him for providing sports infrastructure.