Punjab to be on sports map: Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal

Lok Sabha member Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal has said the government is making all-out efforts to make Punjab as a leading state on the sports map.

While honouring players of the Punjab State Institute of Sports and JCT Football Academy at the local School of Eminence on the commencement of new session, Chabbewal said the government was making strenuous efforts to promote and strengthen sports culture in every nook and corner of the state. He said youngsters were being encouraged towards sports in villages and urban areas, which would go a long way in realising vision of healthy Punjab.

Lauding the efforts of the academy to organise a religious event, on start of new session, dedicated to the memory of football coaches Prof Sital Singh and Jagir Singh, he said it was a matter of pride that players of the academy had been selected in different departments.

Referring to the demand put forth by the District Sports Officer Gurpreet Singh and football coach Pardeep Kumar, the MP said all possible support would shortly be ensured for infrastructure expansion, which further realised excellence of players at the national level.

Dr Chabbewal said Punjab had always been one of the front runners in sports.

He said under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the government was being given to priority to sports by establishing sports grounds and other infrastructure. The government is also setting up 3,000 indoor gyms. He said the government is upgrading 13 existing centres of excellence to advanced ones, which would further become hubs for outstanding players competing. He said the government has proposed a budget of Rs 979 crore for the Sports Department during the current fiscal, which is the highest amount released in the history of Punjab so far.