To promote sports from grassroots level and developing Punjab as the nursery of sports in India, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday said the Punjab Institute of Sports will develop 11 sports disciplines in the State. From the next academic session this institute will select 500 budding sports persons to provide them excellent training and coaching free of cost.
The Deputy CM, who was the chief guest at the semi finals of fifth Kabaddi World Cup at Dirba (Sangrur), said national and international level coaches would be hired by the state government so that best players could be developed at the grass root level.
"My main aim is that the Indian contingent for Rio Olympics 2016 would have maximum participation from Punjab," the Deputy CM said.
He said in the first batch, 500 budding sportspersons would be admitted in sports institute and the State Government would spend for their boarding, lodging and training.
Badal said all 146 blocks of Punjab would have sports centres that would be ultra modern and state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor playing facilities, where training would be provided to sportspersons.