In a bid to promote sports in Punjab, all 146 block of the State will have modern state-of -the-art sports centres.
Attending fifth Kabaddi World Cup 2014 at PPS Nabha Sports Complex on Monday Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said each sports centre would have ultra modern state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor stadiums that would provide sports training as well as facilities to sportspersons of the State.
Badal said the main aim is to ensure maximum participation of Punjabi players in Rio Olympics 2016. "I see this getting into reality as venues for new sports centres have also been earmarked in 20 blocks where construction work would start from next month. The work in remaining blocks is also in the pipeline," said the Deputy CM.
He said each sports centre would be set up with a cost of Rs1.60 crore and it would have all kinds of ultra modern sports facilities. Badal said that in Cabinet meeting to be held on Tuesday, Government jobs to 125 players would also be cleared. Badal said that traditional game Gatka will also be recognised and become part of affiliated sports in the Cabinet meeting. He said this decision has been taken to promote Gatka game world over and martial art players also get eligible for Government jobs and other facilities like sportspersons of other affiliated games.
Speaking on the occasion, Surjit Singh Rakhra, Higher Education Minister, Punjab, said that it was only due to the efforts of the State Government that our mother sport Kabaddi has emerged on the international sports arena and countries like Argentina, Azerbaijan, Sweden, Denmark and several others have now started playing Kabaddi. He said day is not far when Kabaddi would become part of Commonwealth, Asian and Olympics.