CHANDIGARH / LUDHIANA: Punjab Education Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Tuesday officially inaugurated the 69th National School Games at Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana, marking the start of a major national sporting event. The Games, being held from January 6 to January 11, have drawn around 1,000 athletes and over 350 coaches from across the country, including Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Andhra Pradesh, and the North East. Players from all states and Union Territories, as well as teams from Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and Vidya Bharati schools, are participating in competitions across multiple sports, including Judo Under-14, Taekwondo Under-14, and Gatka Under-19, with matches being held at BCM Arya Model Senior Secondary School, Government Senior Secondary School, and PAU Ludhiana’s Open Air Theatre.
Speaking at the inauguration, Minister Harjot Singh Bains highlighted Punjab’s focus on developing sports infrastructure and promoting a strong sporting culture. He said the state government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, is constructing 3,100 playgrounds in villages and cities to ensure that every village in Punjab has its own sports ground. He also emphasized capacity building, noting that coaches are being recruited at sports nurseries for boxing, hockey, kabaddi, and other disciplines, while players’ diets are being enhanced to improve training and performance.
The Minister also lauded Punjab’s sports policy, which provides advance financial assistance to athletes selected for the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Championships, and Olympics—a step that has contributed to increased medal wins from the state. He further expressed pride in the strong representation of Punjabi players in the Indian cricket and hockey teams, calling it a sign that Punjab is regaining its status as a leading state in sports. Senior officials, including MLA Daljit Singh Bhola Grewal, Director Secondary Education Gurinder Singh Sodhi, and district education and sports officers, were present at the event.
