Poor infra, misuse of funds keep sports off track

The year 2024 was a relatively quiet one for Ludhiana in the sports arena. Unlike previous years, there were no major national sports events held in the city. Though, the city hosted competitions in some sports disciplines during the National School Games in addition to the third edition of block, district and state-level ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan’.

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Apart from this, for the first time, competitions for para-athletes in badminton, power-lifting and athletics were also organised during these games.

However, Ludhiana hosted several local and district-level tournaments in sports like cricket, badminton, basketball, chess, hockey, swimming and football. The city’s schools and colleges continued to promote sports with several institutions winning prizes in the state-level competitions but the absence of major sporting events here was a significant factor in city’s low-key year in sports.

A few talented players from Ludhiana district made headlines as they won recognition in the state and national-level championships. They hogged limelight and brought fame to the district and the state as well, thus motivating others to follow the suit.

The highs

The athletic track at Guru Nanak Stadium has been replaced due of its worn out condition, which posed a high risk of injury to athletes. The new track has been laid at a cost of around Rs 9 crore. The Sports Department took a significant step to enhance the accuracy of athletic events by installing a photo-finish camera at the stadium. This technology will provide a precise way to determine winners in close races, ensuing fairness and transparency in competitions. Players shared their joy over replacing the synthetic track.

City-based cricketer, Nehal Wadhera, made a big leap as the stylish left-handed middle order batsman and right-arm leg spin bowler was bought by the Punjab Kings (PBKS) at whopping Rs 4.20 crore during the IPL auction held in Saudi Arabia. After playing for two years for the Mumbai Indians at the base price of Rs 20 lakh, Nehal went under hammer at manifold salary increase for the IPL 2025 season.

Another cricketer from Ludhiana, Deepin Chitkara, hogged spotlight as he represented India in the India-Australian Universities Cricket Series, organised by the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). His standout performance came in T20 matches, played in Mumbai and Bhubaneswar. In the first match, he scored a quick-fire 53 runs off just 24 balls, helping his team chase down the visitors’ total. Deepin also played a key role in another match, scoring 91 runs off just 40 balls which the hosts won. The Indian Universities team dominated the series, winning six out of seven matches.

Ludhiana hosted National School Games twice during the current year. The games, organised by the Punjab Education Department with the help of the Sports Department and the district administration were held in January during which competitions in judo, karate and football for boys and girls were conducted for which over 2,000 players and officials from across the country were in the city.

Again, Ludhiana played hosts for National School Games in December. Around 2,500 participants, including players and officials visited the city to compete in four sports disciplines—judo, karate, handball and netball. The visiting teams praised the organisers for making arrangements and completing the games successfully.

Jivan Lata (23), a weightlifter from Ludhiana city added another feather in her cap when she clinched a gold medal in the North East Zone Inter-University Weightlifting Championship, held at Mohali. Jivan holds the record in power-lifting as she lifted total 160kg dead weight to secure a gold medal in the All India Bench Press Championship.

City judokas Jatin Kumar and Gini secured medals in All India Inter-University Championship held at GNDU, Amritsar, in February. Jatin won a silver medal in below 66kg weight category. He also bagged a bronze medal in Khelo India University Games at Lucknow. Gini secured a bronze medal at Amritsar in below 78kg weight group. She is a gold medallist in below 63kg weight category at the National School Games.

The lows

The 84th edition of Kila Raipur Sports Festival, organised by the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs in the second week of February, remained a lackluster affair as only a handful of spectators turned up during the three-day event, popularly known as Mini Rural Olympics. A small number of people visited the stadium to witness the spectacular, superhuman displays of physical strength. Visitors felt the reason could be that this time the games were held on weekdays. Another reason was the bullock-cart races missing this year.

The issue of an all-weather swimming pool near Rakh Bagh in Ludhiana has been pending for long, leaving many eager residents waiting for the project’s completion. The construction of this pool, adjacent to the MC Pool, started about a decade ago and was abandoned and the structure lies incomplete. Now, the construction of the project has resumed and one hopes it will be completed, providing a state-of-the-art swimming facility for the Ludhiana residents.

The Ludhiana District Cricket Association (LDCA), an affiliated unit of the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) continues to make headlines for undesirable reasons. The activities of the incumbent executive committee of the LDCA are under scanner. The Ludhiana Old Players Cricket Association (LOPCA), comprising former cricketers had alleged serious allegations of misappropriation of funds of about Rs 2 crore by the LDCA officials. The LOPCA had submitted a complaint to the Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner, the fate of which is still not known. Now, a petition has been filed in the High Court of Punjab and Haryana against alleged irregularities and fallacies. Subsequently, the PCA had not allotted inter-district matches to Ludhiana in all the age groups and the local players had to travel to different cities to play.