Chandigarh, August 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Punjab government will organise the fourth edition of ‘Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan’ from September 5 to November 29, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announcing a target of more than 10 lakh participants across nine age groups, including players aged above 70.
The sporting extravaganza will begin with its opening ceremony at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium in Bathinda on September 5 and conclude in Patiala on November 29. The government says the event is aimed at identifying and nurturing sporting talent from villages, towns and cities and preparing promising players for national and international competitions.
Announcing the schedule, Mann said the games would provide a platform to channelise the energy of Punjab’s youth towards sports and strengthen the state’s fight against drugs.
The 2026 edition will feature 38 sports disciplines and four para-sports — Para Athletics, Para Powerlifting, Para Badminton and Wheelchair Basketball. Tennis Ball Cricket for both men and women has been included as a demonstration sport for the first time.
Registration is free and, for the first time, players can register through a QR-code-based facility. Registration is also available through the Sports Department’s portal.
Competitions will be held at block, district and state levels across all 153 blocks and 23 districts. State-level competitions will take place in 16 districts between October 10 and November 23.
The first state-level slot, from October 10 to 15, will feature 13 disciplines, while another 13 disciplines will be held from October 17 to 23. The remaining 12 disciplines will be conducted from November 17 to 23.
The para-sports competitions will be held in Ludhiana from November 25 to 28.
Mann said state-level winners would receive cash awards of Rs 10,000 for gold, Rs 7,000 for silver and Rs 5,000 for bronze. Medal winners up to the age of 40 will also receive Gradation Certificates, enabling them to avail benefits under the sports quota for government jobs.
The Mashaal March (Torch Relay) began on August 12 and will pass through all districts before reaching Bathinda for the opening ceremony on September 5.
According to the Chief Minister, more than 25.51 crore was distributed as prize money during the first three editions. The first edition saw 3.50 lakh participants, with 9,688 medal winners receiving Rs 6.88 crore. More than four lakh players participated in the second edition, in which 12,500 players won medals and Rs 8.87 crore was distributed. The third edition attracted 4.35 lakh participants, with 14,500 medal winners receiving Rs 9.76 crore. The games were not held in 2025 because of floods.
Mann said the state’s new Sports Policy, introduced in 2023, had increased budgetary support for sports and provided athletes with cash awards and financial assistance for preparation. He said the government had allocated Rs 1,744 crore exclusively for sports promotion, while an earlier post referred to a total sports allocation of Rs 1,794 crore.
He said Rs 15 lakh was being provided to athletes preparing for the Olympic Games and Rs 8 lakh for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. Since 2022, he said, Rs 135 crore had been distributed in prize money to 40,415 players across Punjab. As many as 85 players had received the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, while 11 athletes who brought laurels to Punjab had been appointed as PCS/DSP officers.
The government is also developing rural sports infrastructure. Mann said 3,100 ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ were being developed across the state, while the government’s earlier announcement referred to the development of 3,148 sports grounds and 6,000 gyms in villages.
The Chief Minister said the government was also focusing on sports medicine and infrastructure to create a stronger sporting ecosystem.
Punjab will host the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy during October-November, with matches scheduled in Jalandhar and Mohali. Mann also noted that eight players from Punjab are currently part of the Indian hockey team at the World Hockey Cup in Europe.
He highlighted Punjab’s representation in national teams, noting that Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, Indian men’s cricket captain Shubman Gill, Indian women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Indian basketball captain Palpreet Singh Brar hail from the state.
Mann also cited Punjab’s performance at the 2023 Asian Games, where 32 athletes from the state won 20 medals — eight gold, six silver and six bronze — surpassing Punjab’s previous record of seven gold medals and 15 total medals at the 1951 New Delhi Games.
He said the government would continue expanding sports infrastructure and opportunities so that Punjab could regain its position as a leading sporting state.
At the block and district levels, the newly developed rural playgrounds will be utilised extensively. The government said the competitions would also serve as community mobilisation events involving local leaders, Olympians, public figures and young people.
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