Chandigarh, 19 August (H.S.): The Punjab government will organise the fourth edition of ‘Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan’ from September 5 to November 29, with a target of involving more than 10 lakh participants across nine age groups. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced that the sporting extravaganza will begin with an opening ceremony at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium in Bathinda and conclude with a closing ceremony in Patiala. The 2026 edition is being planned as the biggest edition of the games so far, aimed at reviving Punjab’s sporting culture and providing a platform to identify and nurture sporting talent.

Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister said the games will bring together players from the age of 14 to above 70 years. He said the event would help prepare children and youth for national and international-level competitions while also bringing different generations together through sports.

A total of 38 sports disciplines will be organised at the state level, along with four para-sports—Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para Badminton and Wheelchair Basketball. For the first time, Tennis Ball Cricket for both boys and girls has been included as a demonstration sport.

Registration for the games is completely free. The Sports Department has introduced a QR-code-based registration system for the first time, allowing players to register from anywhere. Registration is also available through the Sports Department’s portal.

The competitions will be conducted at block, district and state levels, covering all 153 blocks and 23 districts of Punjab. Seven sports will be held at the block level, 28 at the district level and 38 at the state level.

The state-level competitions will be held in three slots from October 10 to November 23 across 16 districts—Ludhiana, Mansa, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, SAS Nagar, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Bathinda, Faridkot, Patiala, Sangrur, Rupnagar, Barnala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Malerkotla. The first slot will be held from October 10 to 15 with 13 disciplines, the second from October 17 to 23 with 13 disciplines, and the third from November 17 to 23 with 12 disciplines.

The Para State-Level Games will be held in Ludhiana from November 25 to 28. State-level gold medal winners will receive ₹10,000, silver medal winners ₹7,000 and bronze medal winners ₹5,000.

The Mashaal March (Torch Relay), which began on August 12, will pass through all districts of Punjab before reaching Bathinda on September 5. The government will also ensure maximum utilisation of newly constructed rural playgrounds during block and district-level competitions, turning the events into community gatherings involving local leadership, Olympians, public figures and youth.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH