With a view to promote rare martial art, gatka, the Punjab Government has accorded recognition to this traditional martial art as game and enlisted it in the gradation list of recognised sports enlisted in the State sports policy, 2010. A notification, in this regard, has also been issued to include gatka game in addition to other games with immediate effect. On the proposal mooted by Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, who also holds sports portfolio, the State cabinet had already gave its approval on December 16 to recognise this ancient game by enlisting it in the State gradation list.

Meanwhile, Member Parliament and World Gatka Federation president Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Asian Gatka Federation president SP Singh Oberoi, Gatka Federation of India president Harcharn Singh Bhullar and general secretary Harjeet Singh Grewal, in a joint statement, welcomed the decision of State Government and thanked the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy Chief Minister for their efforts to acknowledge this historical game as a sport.

They said that it was a long pending demand of the Gatka players to enlist this age old sport in the gradation list of recognised games so that the gatkebaaz could avail all facilities being provided to other games and players and reservation of three per cent quota in all posts and admissions. The martial art, gatka, has already been included in the National School Games and Punjabi University Patiala is hosting All India Inter-Varsity Gatka tournaments since 2011. The Punjab Olympic Association has already recognised Gatka game and affiliated Punjab Gatka Association.