Patiala, September 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Wednesday said the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government has created a sports-friendly environment across the state by bringing people of all age groups, from grandfathers to grandsons, to playgrounds.
Speaking at a high-level meeting held in Patiala to review registrations and preparations for the fourth season of ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan’, Dr. Balbir Singh, along with MLAs from Patiala district, called for concerted efforts to make Patiala the leading district in the sporting event.
He appealed to residents of the district to register in large numbers and participate enthusiastically in the games. He also directed the District Administration, Sports Department and Education Department to work in close coordination to ensure the success of Season 4.
Dr. Balbir Singh particularly stressed the need to increase registrations among participants aged 14 to 60 years. He called for greater involvement of sports academies, federations and associations, besides government and private schools and colleges across the district.
The Health Minister said Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann inaugurated the fourth season of ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan 2026’ in Bathinda on September 5, while the grand closing ceremony will be held in Patiala on November 29.
He said previous editions had witnessed participation of up to five lakh athletes, while the target for this year has been set at 10 lakh participants. He urged Patiala district to contribute significantly towards achieving the target.
Competitions in 38 sports disciplines across nine age groups, along with Tennis Ball Cricket as a demonstration sport and four para-sports, are being organised at block, district and state levels for boys and girls. Prize money of more than ₹12 crore, along with gradation certificates, will be awarded to winners.
The nine age categories are Under-14, Under-17, Under-21, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, 61–70 and Above 70 years.
Block-level competitions in seven disciplines have commenced and will continue till September 18. These include Athletics, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi (National Style), Kabaddi (Circle Style), Football, Volleyball (Smashing) and Volleyball (Shooting).
District-level competitions will be held from September 20 to 30 and will feature winners from the block-level events along with 21 direct-entry sports, taking the total number of disciplines at this stage to 28.
State-level competitions will be held from October 10 to November 23, featuring winners of the district-level events along with 10 additional direct-entry disciplines to take the total to 38 sports.
Four para-sports — Para Powerlifting, Para Badminton, Wheelchair Basketball and Para Athletics — will be held from November 25 to 28.
The meeting was attended by MLAs Neena Mittal, Chetan Singh Jouramajra, Gurlal Ghanour, Kulwant Singh Bazigar and Gurdev Singh Dev Mann; Deputy Commissioner Dr. Himanshu Aggarwal; representatives of MLAs Ajit Pal Singh Kohli and Ranjodh Singh Hadana; ADC (Development) Damanjit Singh Mann; SP Rajesh Chhibber; District Sports Officer Navjot Singh Dhaliwal; and representatives of various sports associations and federations.
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