Will ensure world-class sports infrastructure in dist: Minister

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, October 19

The nine-day hockey extravaganza — 36th Surjit Hockey Tournament — concluded here today after the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Punjab Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi announced that the state government would ensure world-class sports infrastructure in the district to boost sporting activities.

Addressing a gathering while presiding over a function to mark the culmination of the mega event, the minister said the state government would ensure that all sports grounds in the district would be given a facelift in the days to come.

He said private players were being roped in for the noble cause to ensure that sporting activities get a boost in the sports city. Rana Sodhi said the state-of-the-art sports infrastructure would go a long way in producing world-class players from the region.

Acceding to the demand raised by Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman of the Surjit Hockey Society, the Minister said the state government would install a new AstroTurf at the Surjit Hockey Stadium.

He said it was the need of the hour to make sure that budding hockey players were provided world-class ground to prepare them for national and international events.

Sodhi said no stone would be left unturned to promote sports, especially hockey, in the state.

The minister said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh was taking special efforts to uplift the level of sports in the state and Punjab had come out with a comprehensive sports policy. The state government was making all-out efforts for promoting sports across the state to channelise the unbounded energy of youth in a positive manner.

He said the sports policy of the state government was a right step towards this direction as it provides jobs as it emphasises not only on enhancing prize money of various national and international tournaments but also ensuring a robust and top-notch sports infrastructure in the state, aiming at producing champions for national and international events.

Announcing a grant of Rs 21 lakh for the Surjit Hockey Academy, the Minister lauded the stupendous efforts being made by the academy for producing ace hockey players.

Earlier, the minister also distributed 550 sports kits among budding players to mark the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev.