Four-day Kabaddi Carnival from February 26

Bathinda, February 12

With a view to encouraging people towards sports, the district administration will organise the biggest ever sports extravaganza, Kabaddi Carnival, from February 26 in the district. Rural youths and elderly people will compete equally in different sports events to be held at the block and district levels during the carnival.

Divulging more details about the event, Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Praneet said this would be the biggest ever sports extravaganza in which the rural youth (girls and boys) and the elected panches and sarpanches would participate. The events at the block level would be held from February 26-27. The winner teams from each block would then participate in the sports events at the district level at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium on March 1 -2, he said.

Praneet said the Great Khali would be the Brand Ambassador of the sports extravaganza, who visited Bathinda on Tuesday to motivate the youth to take part in sports.

The Deputy Commissioner said officials from various departments had been assigned different duties at all the venues for the successful completion of the sports events. He said the aim of the carnival was to bring out the talent of rural youth and encourage elderly people to participate in sports activities.

“We are not focusing our attention on professional teams or individuals, but on fresh, young and elderly individuals or teams. A total of 296 kabaddi teams will be formed in their respective nine blocks,” said the DC.

He said winners from each block would be selected after which final events would be held at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium in Bathinda. The DC pointed out that every candidate would have to get his name cleared for participation from their respective village panchayat.

Apart from races, tug-of-war and shot-put, 18 kabaddi teams — nine each in the open category and Punjab style (55 kg) — would also participate. The first three winners would get a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 51,000, respectively.

In the show matches of elected panchayat members and sarpanches for kabaddi at Multipurpose Sports Stadium on March 2, Rs 1 lakh would be given to the winner team and Rs 75,000 to the team which will emerge second.

Show matches of girls’ teams of kabaddi would also be held on March 2 at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium wherein Rs 51,000 would be given to the winner and Rs 31,000 to the team which will emerge second.

The individuals (boys and girls) in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m races on March 1 and 2 at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium would get Rs 5,100 (first), Rs 3,100 (second) and Rs 2,100 (third).

In the men and women shot-put categories on March 1 and March 2 at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium, the winners would get Rs 7,100 (first) and Rs 5,100 (second).

Cash prizes of Rs 5,100, Rs 3,100 and Rs 2,100 will be awarded to those players who emerge first, second and third in the 100, 200 and 400 m races to be organised for students of Class XI.

For the 100, 200 and 400 m races to be organised for Class XI (girls and boys), Rs 5,100, Rs 3,100 and Rs 2,100 would be given to the first, second and third winners, respectively.In tug-of-war, Rs 21,000, Rs 11,000 and Rs 5,100 would be awarded to the first, second and the third winners, respectively. — TNS