Chandigarh, Oct 21 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leader and Mohali Mayor, Sarabjit Singh, on Wednesday said that Punjab hosting the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time, is a historic achievement and a matter of immense pride for the state.
He credited Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s personal efforts for bringing the prestigious international tournament to Punjab, adding that the event would boost hockey and other sports while encouraging more youngsters to embrace a sporting culture.
Addressing a press conference, Sarabjit Singh said the league matches would be held in Jalandhar from October 27 to November 2, while the semi-finals, final and third-place match would take place in Mohali on November 4 and 5.
Six leading Asian teams — India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, Malaysia and South Korea — are participating in the tournament, further strengthening Punjab’s position on the international sporting map.
The Mayor said the state government had earmarked approximately Rs 25 crore to upgrade sports stadiums to international standards.
Of this, Rs 16 crore was being spent on renovating and upgrading stadiums in Jalandhar, while around Rs 8.90 crore had been allocated for facilities in Mohali.
He said the investment would significantly strengthen Punjab’s sports infrastructure and create better facilities for athletes.
Highlighting the achievements of the state government’s ‘Khed Kranti’ initiative, launched under Chief Minister Mann’s leadership, Sarabjit Singh said the AAP government had distributed cash awards worth approximately Rs 135 crore to nearly 40,000 players.
He added that new stadiums were being constructed across Punjab to promote sports at the grassroots by the AAP government and in Mohali alone, around 32 stadiums were under construction, which would provide aspiring athletes with improved training facilities and greater opportunities to develop their talent.
Emphasising the importance of public participation in promoting sports, the Mayor said that building a strong sporting culture was a shared responsibility of the government and society.
He appealed to people across Punjab to attend the matches in large numbers and encourage the participating teams.
He also announced that entry to the stadiums would be completely free throughout the tournament.
Sarabjit Singh further urged parents to encourage their children to participate in sports alongside their academic pursuits.
He said the Mann-led government was committed to strengthening sports infrastructure, nurturing young talent and steering the state’s youth towards a healthy, disciplined and productive future.
–IANS
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