Chandigarh, 24 May (H.S.): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant

Singh Mann on Sunday honoured 87 Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awardees and

1,070 medal-winning athletes with prize money worth ₹32.05 crore. Alongside the

financial rewards, the Punjab Government announced a major expansion of the

state’s sports infrastructure and athlete support system, aiming to transform

Punjab into a leading sports powerhouse.

Addressing a grand felicitation ceremony in

Chandigarh, the Chief Minister said the government has moved beyond symbolic

recognition and is now investing heavily in long-term sports development. A

record sports budget of ₹1,763 crore has been allocated for the financial year

2026-27, while 3,148 rural sports grounds will be developed across Punjab at a

cost of ₹1,300 crore to nurture talent at the grassroots level.

Bhagwant Singh Mann also announced that Punjab

will host the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy for the first time, calling it

a proud moment for the state’s sporting legacy. The much-anticipated

India-Pakistan match during the tournament will be played on Punjab Day. The

Chief Minister said previous governments failed to secure such major sporting

events for Punjab despite the state producing countless national and

international champions.

Highlighting the government’s athlete-first

approach, Mann said Punjab has, for the first time, extended direct financial

assistance worth ₹8.61 crore to 220 players to help them prepare for

tournaments. He added that more than ₹15 crore has already been disbursed

through a newly launched sports portal for training and the purchase of

high-end sports equipment.

Among the top honourees were Indian Women’s

Cricket Team Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and

all-rounder Amanjot Kaur, who received

₹1.50 crore each for their international achievements. In shooting, world

championship medalists Amanpreet Singh and

Neeraj Kumar received ₹1.54 crore and

₹1.52 crore respectively. Para-powerlifting world champion Paramjit Kumar was awarded ₹55 lakh.

The Chief Minister said Punjab has also

created a new “Outstanding Sportsperson” cadre to provide government jobs to

athletes. Around 500 posts have been created in different sports disciplines,

while Punjab has become the first state in India to establish a separate Sports

Medicine cadre for sports science. Recruitment for 112 posts has already been

completed, and recruitment for 206 physical trainer posts is underway.

Bhagwant Singh Mann said the Punjab Government

has increased the sports budget seventeen-fold and cleared the backlog of

Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards pending from 2018 to 2023. Every awardee received

₹5 lakh along with a blazer, scroll, and commemorative emblem of Maharaja

Ranjit Singh mounted on horseback.

Recalling

Punjab’s contribution to Indian sports, the Chief Minister noted that the state

has produced several national captains, including Indian Hockey Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Indian Cricket Team Captain Shubman Gill and Indian Women’s Cricket Team

Captain Harmanpreet Kaur. He added that Punjab remains one of the strongest

sporting states in the country and the government is committed to taking its

legacy to even greater heights.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH