Chandigarh
 
Punjab is turning its biggest grassroots sporting platform into a talent-hunting exercise, with the fourth edition of Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan aimed not merely at mass participation but at identifying hidden talent in villages, towns, and cities and preparing promising youngsters for national and international competitions. The sporting extravaganza will begin at Bathinda’s Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium on September 5 and conclude in Patiala on November 29, with more than 10 lakh participants expected.
 
The games, which could not be held in 2025 due to floods, will feature 38 sports disciplines and four para-sports — Athletics, Powerlifting, Badminton and Wheelchair Basketball. Competitions will be held at block, district and state levels, covering all 153 blocks and 23 districts, with state-level events spread across 16 districts. Tennis-ball cricket for both boys and girls has been introduced for the first time as a demonstration sport.
 
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, sharing the details on Wednesday, said the government wants Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan to become a platform for discovering and nurturing sporting talent from every corner of the state. Players from nine age groups, from under-14 to above 70, will participate, bringing together different generations and, in previous editions, even members of the same families.
 
Registration is free and has been made easier through a new QR-code-based system, allowing players to register anytime and anywhere. Registration through the Sports Department portal is already underway. The Mashaal March, launched on August 12, will pass through all districts before reaching Bathinda on September 5.
 
At the state level, gold medallists will receive Rs 10,000, silver Rs 7,000 and bronze Rs 5,000. Medal winners up to 40 years will also get Gradation Certificates, enabling them to claim benefits under the sports quota in government jobs.
 
The government has linked the sporting push with its broader infrastructure and anti-drug strategy. It has allocated around Rs 1,794 crore for sports, while work is underway on 3,148 sports grounds and 6,000 village gyms; more than 250 playgrounds and 500 gyms have already been inaugurated. Newly developed rural grounds will be extensively used for block and district competitions, turning them into community sporting hubs.
 
Punjab is also offering financial support for elite preparation — Rs 15 lakh for Olympic preparation and Rs eight lakh for Asian Games and Commonwealth Games preparation.
 
The government is banking on Punjab’s strong sporting legacy to produce the next generation of champions. Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, men’s cricket captain Shubman Gill, women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur, and basketball captain Palpreet Singh Brar all hail from Punjab, said Mann, adding that the state’s sporting infrastructure and grassroots talent pipeline must help Punjab reclaim its leading position while giving its youth a productive alternative to drugs.
 
The state-level competitions will be held in three slots between October 10 and November 23 across Ludhiana, Mansa, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, SAS Nagar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Patiala, Sangrur, Rupnagar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Malerkotla. The four para-sports will be held in Ludhiana from November 25 to 28.