Union Minister of State for Sports Sarbnanda Sonowal on Saturday announced to set up multi-purpose sports centre in every block of the border districts of Ferozepur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur.
The decision came following the demand of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to channelise the energy of the youth of border districts of State through promotion of sports activity.
Badal asked the Union Minister of State for Sports, who called on the CM to generously help the State in combating the curse of drugs by funding Sports projects and related infrastructure, especially in the border districts of the State.
The Union Minister asked Badal to send the requisite proposal for these centers so that work on them could be started in a phased manner.
The Union Minister also assured Badal that the Central Government was not averse to the idea of setting up such centres even in the other blocks of the State. Flagging up another issue, the Chief Minister asked Sonowal to establish Center of Excellence in Hockey at Jalandhar and that of Football in Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur), as both these places have produced several renowned players of these games and were known as the nurseries of Hockey and Football players.
Badal said that with the setting up of these centers of excellence both Hockey and Football would get a major fillip, which would be very helpful for the country in making a mark in both these games.
The Chief Minister also sought Sonowal’s personal attention for the early starting of the SAI Regional Centre at Zirakpur over an area of 20 acres, for which the land has already been transferred to the Ministry of Sports.