Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday dedicated 1,000 more ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ across Punjab, taking the total inaugurated so far to 1,764 out of the targeted 3,100, as his government steps up its push to channelise youth energy towards sports and away from drugs. Attending the inauguration ceremony at Shahpur village in the Amloh Assembly constituency of Fatehgarh Sahib, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said Punjab is laying the foundation to emerge as a hub of international sporting talent, with every sports ground being equipped with football, hockey, volleyball and cricket kits. Taking a swipe at previous governments, he said they neither provided grants to villages nor undertook development works, while his government was prioritising sports infrastructure to give rural youth opportunities to become international athletes and bring glory to Punjab.
Sharing a few snippets from the occasion, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “Today, I attended the inauguration ceremony of a sports ground at village Shahpur, falling under the Amloh Assembly constituency in Fatehgarh Sahib district. It is a matter of great happiness that the Punjab Government today inaugurated 1,000 new sports grounds across the state. This is a major step towards connecting our youth with sports and keeping them away from drugs. We are confident that by sweating it out on these sports grounds, our youngsters will make Punjab proud across the world in the coming years.”
Addressing the gathering, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, channelising the energy of Punjab’s youth towards sports is essential to protect them from the drug menace and provide them with a constructive direction. He welcomed people and political leaders who had travelled from different parts of the state to participate in the programme, saying that sports could play a decisive role in building a healthy, disciplined and progressive society.
The Chief Minister asserted, “Our government is committed to making Punjab drug-free. We are dedicating another 1,000 sports grounds to the people today because our youth need proper facilities and opportunities to excel in sports. By channelising their energy towards sports, we can keep them away from drugs and encourage them to bring laurels to Punjab and the country.”
He said that for the first time, the Punjab Government had undertaken such an extensive initiative to develop high-quality sports infrastructure in villages, ensuring that rural youngsters had access to modern facilities close to their homes. “Under this initiative, 3,100 ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ (model village sports grounds) are being developed across Punjab. These grounds are an important part of our ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. Our objective is to create a sporting culture in every village so that young people choose fitness, discipline and positive activities over drugs,” he added.
Highlighting the progress of the project, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that 255 sports grounds were dedicated to the people during the first phase on May 4, followed by another 509 on August 24 during the second phase. With the dedication of 1,000 additional grounds in the third phase, the initiative had entered another significant stage. These include 93 sports grounds in Fatehgarh Sahib district.
“We are not merely developing playgrounds; we are creating opportunities for our rural youth. Every village should have quality sports infrastructure where children can train, practise and pursue their sporting ambitions,” affirmed the Chief Minister.
He said that the sports grounds were being developed with a comprehensive range of modern facilities to ensure that villagers could use them for multiple sporting and fitness activities. “These include six-foot-high chain-link boundary fencing, plantation along the boundaries to increase green cover, six-foot-wide walking tracks with footlights, separate toilets for men and women, and storerooms for sports kits and equipment. To ensure proper upkeep of the grounds, submersible pumps and hydrants have also been installed for watering grass and plants,” he added.
The Chief Minister further said that dedicated children’s play areas equipped with swings, ladder bars and slides were being developed, while high-mast lights would ensure proper illumination of the grounds. Keeping local sporting preferences in mind, facilities for volleyball, football, hockey and other popular games were being provided.
“These grounds will offer much more than basic playing facilities. We are developing lush green turfs with quality grass, while selected grounds will also have six-lane, 400-metre running tracks to encourage athletics and running. Our aim is to make sports accessible to every child in Punjab,” he said.
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CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that his government is also ensuring that villages received the necessary sports equipment so that children could begin playing without having to bear the financial burden of purchasing kits. “Every village will be provided with football and hockey goalposts, volleyball poles and two nets, three volleyballs, three footballs and cricket kits. In addition, 36 pairs of football studs will be supplied, while villages where cricket is particularly popular will receive complete cricket kits.,” he noted.
“Providing infrastructure alone is not enough. We want children to receive proper guidance and training as well. Football and volleyball coaches will be deployed at all sports grounds to provide free coaching to youngsters,” affirmed the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that Gram Panchayats would be responsible for ensuring the proper maintenance of these sports grounds through dedicated committees. “These committees would comprise the Sarpanch, President of the Youth Club, concerned Junior Engineer (JE) and Panchayat Secretary. The Gram Panchayat would also nominate a woman member or a sportsperson to the committee,” he added.
“The responsibility of maintaining these facilities will rest with the village-level committees so that the sports grounds remain functional and are used regularly by children and youngsters. Our sole objective is to build a strong sporting culture, keep the youth away from drugs and make them active partners in Punjab’s socio-economic development,” said CM Bhagwant Singh Mann.
Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
Building A Strong Grassroots Sports Ecosystem To Keep Youth Away From Drugs
The Bhagwant Mann Government has undertaken a major expansion of grassroots sports infrastructure to channelise youth energy towards sports and strengthen the fight against drugs under its ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’. The government has committed ₹1,500 crore specifically for developing 3,100 modern ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ across Punjab, with 764 grounds dedicated by August 24, 2026. These grounds are equipped with facilities for volleyball, football, cricket and traditional sports, along with high-mast lights for night-time play, footlights along walking tracks, chain-link fencing, children’s play areas and other modern amenities. Sports equipment is being provided according to the popularity of different games in each village, while the initiative also encourages participation by children and senior citizens.
Record Sports Budget, Financial Assistance And Opportunities For Athletes
Beyond playground infrastructure, the government has allocated a record ₹1,744 crore sports budget and is developing 600 rural gyms, of which 500 have already been completed and inaugurated, according to the press release. Under the new Sports Policy introduced in 2023, ₹135 crore in prize money has been distributed to 40,415 sportspersons since 2022. Financial assistance of ₹15 lakh for Olympic preparation and ₹8 lakh for Asian and Commonwealth Games preparation is also being provided. Additionally, Punjab is expanding its sporting calendar through ‘Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan’, hosting the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy and organising the ‘She-e-Punjab T20 League’ on the lines of the IPL, with the broader objective of building a strong sporting ecosystem and creating opportunities for rural talent to compete at national and international levels.
