Bathinda: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann formally inaugurated the fourth season of ‘Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan-2026’ at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium in Bathinda, setting an ambitious vision to nurture local sports talent for national and international arenas. The sports festival will feature around 10 lakh players across 39 sporting disciplines and four para-sports, spanning nine age groups from 14 to over 70 years. During the grand opening ceremony, the Chief Minister honored Commonwealth Games-2026 silver medallists Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh with cash awards of ₹50 lakh each. The mega event will conclude in Patiala on November 29, featuring a total prize money pool of ₹12.50 crore, which for the first time includes dedicated cash prizes for veteran athletes.
The state government maintained that developing sports infrastructure forms a core part of its youth engagement strategy, citing a record sports budget of ₹1,744 crore. Under this initiative, 3,148 rural sports grounds are being developed across Punjab, along with the establishment of 6,000 local gyms. The event also introduced tennis-ball cricket for boys and girls as a demonstration sport this year. While addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister affirmed that the platform aims to steer youth toward positive pursuits and build a disciplined, healthy society. The state leadership asserted that given the ongoing investments in grassroots facilities and financial assistance for elite tournament preparation, athletes from Punjab will secure significant achievements at global platforms, including the 2036 Olympic Games.
