Punjab wants to be ahead in the game. Encouraged by the performance of Punjabis in the ongoing Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, the State is all set to organize a two-month-long “Punjab Khed Mela” from August 29 — the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand — to catch the state’s sporting talent.
The state’s Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer pointed out that during the commonwealth games, the Punjabis not only won medals for India, but also for other countries like Canada and England. “The Punjabi origin players won medals for Canada and England in the CWG. Medallists Amarveer Dhesi and Mandhir Koonar are from Jalandhar, but won medals for Canada and England, respectively. In fact, in Canada’s hockey team, six players are Punjabis,” pointed Hayer.
Hayer asserted that there was no dearth of talent in Punjab, but players needed a platform. “18 players from Punjab have won medals in this Commonwealth Games,” he said while announcing the organization of ‘Punjab Khed Mela’.
“We will take Punjab’s talent to the medal. That's why we are organizing these games for players as young as the under-14 category, and even for those above 50 years. We will identify the talent right from the block level and help them grow,” said Hayer.
He added that to encourage sports in the state, he had also met the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur past week, and had sought the Centre’s support for the same.
“Punjab’s players have an abundance of talent, what is needed is to identify and polish the same. Every village and the city of Punjab would be covered in this sporting event,” said the Minister adding that the State Government is leaving no stone unturned to rejuvenate the sports culture in the State.
Congratulating the Indian sports contingent excelling at the Commonwealth Games, the Minister said that the Chief Minister has announced cash prize for the 18 players hailing from Punjab who bagged medals. The players from the State won three Silver and four Bronze medals. The Silver winners get Rs 50 lakh each, while the Bronze medal winners would get Rs 40 lakh.
The men’s field hockey team, winning a Silver medal in Birmingham, had 11 players from Punjab — captain Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Varun Kumar, Shamsher Singh, Hardik Singh, Krishan Pathak, Germanpreet Singh, and Mandeep Singh.
The Women’s Cricket team, which won a silver medal, had two players — Harmanpreet Kaur and Tania Bhatia; while in Women’s Hockey team, one player from Punjab Gurjeet Kaur bagged bronze.
In Weightlifting, Vikas Thakur won silver, while Harjinder Kaur, Lovepreet Singh, and Gurdeep Singh bagged Bronze.
Sharing details about the sporting extravaganza ‘Punjab Khed Mela’, Hayer said that it would be kickstarted by the Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand on August 29 — the National Sports Day — at Jalandhar.
The Minister said that in the Khed Mela, over four lakh players from Block to State level in the age group of U-14, U-17, U-21, 21-40 years, 40-50 years and over 50 years would showcase their skills in the recognized sports included in the gradation list.
The sports fest would continue for two months and the interested players can register themselves online from August 11 to 25.
The sports festival would also feature Para Sports events. The State level winners of the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals would get Rs 10,000, Rs 7,000, and Rs 5,000 plus a certificate. Total prize money of Rs six crore would be distributed.
All the winning players would be covered in the gradation policy of the State. The dope tests of the winners as well as the other players would also be conducted.