'Khedan Vatan Punjab Dean' set to roll out in Jalandhar today

Aparna Banerji

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Jalandhar, August 28

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s volleyball skills will be on display on the opening day of “Khedan Vatan Punjab Dean” here tomorrow.

The two-month-long mega event, being pegged by the state government as the most ambitious sports fair to be held in the state in a long time, is expected to witness a gathering of 10,000 at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium.

CM in sports gear

• Chief Minister Bhagwant will be seen in a sporting avatar on Monday
• He will don a yellow jersey of the Punjab Sports School team from Jalandhar
• Will be among the six members of the Punjab Sports School team
• It will face Lyallpur Khalsa College; the CM will play the entire match
• “The CM is passionate about volleyball. He often plays volleyball with his guards,” say sources

About 3,000 students from across the state will participate in the event and over 1,500 police personnel will be deployed.

The Chief Minister, Cabinet ministers, 16 Olympians and awardees and MLAs will mark their presence at the inaugural ceremony.

The opening ceremony, which will start at 4 pm, will begin with an entertainment and cultural programme, including performances by Punjabi singers Nooran sisters, Ranjit Bawa and Amrit Mann. Students will present a giddha and bhangra show.

Principal Secretary Raj Kamal Chaudhary said all arrangements were in place for the event.

Jalandhar DC Jaspreet Singh said, “The participants are all upbeat. The games will provide the much-needed boost to the sporting spirit of the state’s youth.”

Three stages have been set up for the event — the central one will be for the CM and ministers. MLAs will sit on the left stage, while Olympians and Arjuna awardees will be on the right.