Bathinda, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday inaugurated the fourth season of ‘Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan-2026’ at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Stadium in Bathinda, announcing that nearly 10 lakh players aged 14 to above 70 years will participate in the state’s flagship sporting event.
The Games, being held across 39 sports disciplines along with four para-sports, will conclude in Patiala on November 29. The government has earmarked ₹12.50 crore in prize money, with cash awards for veteran athletes being introduced for the first time. State-level gold medal winners will receive ₹10,000, silver medal winners ₹7,000 and bronze medal winners ₹5,000.
Tennis-ball cricket for boys and girls has also been included as a demonstration sport for the first time. The four para-sports are athletics, powerlifting, badminton and wheelchair basketball.
The Chief Minister said the Games were aimed at identifying and nurturing sporting talent across Punjab’s villages and cities and channelising the energy of young people towards sports and other positive pursuits. He also highlighted the participation of multiple generations, noting that families had previously seen grandparents, parents and grandchildren compete together.
The Games Torch, which began its journey from Sangrur on August 12, reached Bathinda for the opening ceremony. The event featured Bhangra and Giddha performances, along with performances by Punjabi artistes Gurdas Maan and Kulwinder Billa. Mann and Gurdas Maan jointly released balloons to mark the formal inauguration.
Mann also honoured Commonwealth Games-2026 silver medallists Harjinder Kaur and Lovepreet Singh with ₹50 lakh each.
Reviewing the earlier editions, Mann said about 3.5 lakh players participated in Season I in 2022, followed by around four lakh in 2023 and 4.35 lakh in 2024. A total of ₹25.51 crore was distributed as prize money during the first three seasons. The Games could not be held in 2025 because of floods.
The Chief Minister said ₹1,744 crore had been earmarked exclusively for sports and that ₹135 crore in prize money had been distributed among 40,415 athletes since 2022. Under the New Sports Policy, athletes receive ₹15 lakh for Olympic preparation and ₹8 lakh for preparation for the Asian and Commonwealth Games.
On sports infrastructure, Mann said 3,148 rural sports grounds were being developed, with 750 already inaugurated, while 6,000 gyms were being established. He said ₹12.50 crore had also been transferred directly to the bank accounts of 9,501 athletes for purchasing sports equipment.
Highlighting Punjab’s contribution to Indian sport, Mann said Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh, men’s cricket captain Shubman Gill, women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and basketball captain Palpreet Singh Brar were all from Punjab. He also said Punjab would host the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy for the first time since Independence, with matches scheduled in Jalandhar and Mohali during October-November.
Mann expressed confidence that Punjab athletes would win more than 10 medals for India at the 2036 Olympics. He urged parents to encourage children to participate in sports, saying sporting activity builds fitness, discipline, confidence, team spirit and resilience even when a child does not win a medal.
Ace sportspersons Gurpreet Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Lovepreet Singh, Harjinder Kaur, Avtar Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Avneet Kaur and Gurjant Singh participated in the Torch ceremony. World Championship medal winner Parneet Kaur administered the players’ oath, while Asian Games medallist Charanjeet Singh led the flag march.
Cabinet Ministers Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Tarunpreet Singh Sond and Hardeep Singh Mundian, Lok Sabha MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and other dignitaries attended the event.
FOLLOW NOW
