PU categorises sports events, eyes Maulana Abul Kalam trophy

The Panjab University has categorised sports disciplines for the 2025-26 inter-college competitions while keeping an eye on the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy. However, the decision has left the affiliated colleges in the lurch, whether to have teams of events not included in the priority list or not.

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The disciplines have been categorised into three — Khelo India University Games, Priority Games (Part of Olympics Games 2024 and Association of Indian Universities) and Other Games (part of Asian Games/Commonwealth Games and indigenous games as per Association of Indian Universities’ lists).

Last year, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs had changed the criteria to judge MAKA Trophy winner by recognising the Khelo India scheme. The MAKA Trophy is now given to the university for overall top performance in Khelo India University Games.

The PU has added 20 sports disciplines under its Khelo India University Games list, which include archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, boxing, fencing, football, hockey, judo, kabaddi (national style), mallakhamb, rugby, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball, weightlifting, wrestling (freestyle and men’s Greco-Roman) and yoga (men and women).

The priority list includes nine events — gymnastics (women’s rhythmic) and artistic (men and women), cannoning and kayaking, track and road cycling, handball, diving, rowing, yachting, taekwondo (all men and women) and water polo (men). The list of other games include baseball, chess, squash, gatka, kabaddi circle style, softball, kho kho, netball, sepak takraw, roller sports, wushu and cricket (men and women).

“The decision has been taken while aiming for the MAKA trophy and after last year’s decision of the government of India. This will encourage the colleges to have more teams for main categories and also help the university to select meritorious sportspersons for Khelo India University Games meets. The list will be updated (inclusion and exclusion) from time-to-time, following the decision by the government of India. If some events will be included in the Khelo India University Games by the Ministry of Sports, we will follow the same. No sport event has been pushed back or put under any restriction,” said Dr Rakesh Malik, Director Sports, Panjab University.

He further added that, “The main focus is MAKA, Olympics and encouraging colleges to have a competitive environment without facing any burden. There are many colleges, which only aim for inter-college meets and this segregation will help such colleges to focus on these particular events. Colleges having bigger goals will have their area of focus clear,” he added.

However, some colleges claimed that this will push back the institutions for introducing all teams and put a negative effect on the overall growth of sports. “This is a good initiative, but only if aimed for MAKA. The colleges mainly aim to win Panjab University’s sports awards and this segregation will lead to huge differentiation in points (bagged by colleges on the basis of top three finishers in the inter-college meets). The Khelo India University Games categorised events will have more points than others, and the players of other teams will surely be pushed back,” said Amanendra Mann, Associate Professor, Physical Education, DAV College, Sector 10.

“This segregation is not beneficial for sportspersons and overall growth of sports in colleges. These institutions spend money for inducting players of various sports. If only Khelo India University Games and priority sports will get points consideration for university sports awards, then the colleges will focus on these only,” added Gurcharan Singh Gill, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Sector 26.