Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday gave a major boost to grassroots sports by inaugurating more than 500 modern ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ across various districts from Patiala, taking the total number of dedicated grounds to 734. He said the initiative would provide rural youth with world-class sporting facilities while strengthening the government’s fight against drugs by promoting the message of ‘Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Sports’. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the government was developing 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan across Punjab this year with a ₹1,744 crore sports budget, including ₹1,500 crore specifically for these grounds, alongside 600 rural gyms and greater financial support for sportspersons.
After dedicating the playgrounds in the second phase of the state government’s programme to develop 3,100 modern Pendu Khed Maidan across Punjab, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “With the objective of promoting sporting activity and providing world-class facilities at the grassroots level. Punjab is working with the objective of creating a healthy body and a healthy mind. After dedicating 255 Pendu Khed Maidan in the first phase, we are today dedicating another 509 Pendu Khed Maidan to the people.”
The Chief Minister said that 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan equipped with modern facilities were being developed across Punjab with a budgetary allocation of ₹1,500 crore. “Out of the 509 Pendu Khed Maidan being dedicated in the second phase, 43 are in Ludhiana, 41 in Mansa, 36 in Sangrur, 34 each in Bathinda and Patiala, 33 in Sri Muktsar Sahib and 32 in Amritsar, besides those being dedicated in other districts,” he added.
He pointed out, “These Pendu Khed Maidan will make an effective contribution to the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign. They will give our youngsters the message of ‘Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Sports’. For budding and emerging sportspersons, these grounds will become beacons of hope and opportunity.”
He noted that the Pendu Khed Maidan would provide facilities for volleyball, football, cricket and other popular traditional sports. Activities for children and senior citizens would also be organised so that sports and physical activity become an integral part of everyone’s life. “These grounds would also become symbols of community harmony and togetherness in villages,” he added.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann affirmed, ““If a child has a good school for education and a proper sports ground for physical development, that child can bring glory to the village, Punjab and the country at the global level. It is a matter of immense pride and satisfaction that we are providing world-class facilities for education and sports. The Pendu Khed Maidan are being equipped with modern infrastructure, including high-mast lights for night-time sporting activities, footlights along walking tracks, chain-link fencing and other facilities. Plantation is also being undertaken around the grounds to promote greenery and a healthy environment.”
The Chief Minister said that the grounds would also have football goalposts, volleyball poles, swings for children and other amenities. “Sports equipment was being provided to players according to the sport popular in each village. If cricket is popular in a particular village, a cricket kit will be provided there, and likewise, equipment for other popular sports will also be provided,” he said.
He said that Punjab had dedicated the year 2026 to sports and sportspersons. “This year, 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan will be completed in Punjab. Alongside this, 6,000 rural gyms are being established, of which 500 have already been inaugurated,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that the fourth season of “Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan” would commence from Bathinda on September 5, with an estimated participation of 10 lakh players.
He added that, for the first time, the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy was being hosted in Punjab, with matches to be held in Jalandhar and Mohali during October-November. “The people of Punjab will get the opportunity to watch their hockey stars play on their home soil. A T20 cricket league on the lines of the IPL is also being organised in Punjab, which will be played at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, from August 30 to September 13,” said the Chief Minister.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann pointed out that sports were an integral part of Punjab’s proud legacy and rich heritage. “A new Sports Policy was introduced in 2023, under which the sports budget has been increased and sportspersons were being provided cash awards and financial assistance for training and preparation. For the first time in the history of Punjab, a dedicated budget of ₹1,744 crore has been allocated exclusively for sports. Since 2022, ₹135 crore in prize money has been distributed to 40,415 sportspersons,” he noted.
The Chief Minister noted that financial assistance was also being provided to sportspersons for preparation, including ₹15 lakh for preparation for the Olympics and ₹8 lakh for preparation for the Asian and Commonwealth Games. “85 sportspersons had been honoured with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, while 11 sportspersons who have brought laurels to Punjab at the national and international levels had been appointed as PCS/DSP officers,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that his government’s sports initiatives are aimed at creating a strong sporting ecosystem across Punjab, strengthening sporting culture at the grassroots level and providing young people with the facilities and opportunities needed to excel in sports.
