Jarkhar sports fest to begin on Jan 25

Our Sports Correspondent

Ludhiana, January 20

Football squads from Africa and Yemen will be the main attraction during the 32nd edition of the annual sports festival at Jarkhar village, 15 km from here, on the Ludhiana-Malerkotla road.

The festival is scheduled to be held from January 25 to 27.

Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, AIG, Ferozepur, and chairman, Mata Sahib Kaur Sports and Charitable Trust, said besides this, two hockey outfits from overseas namely Fairfield Hockey Club from the US and Ferzino Hockey Field Club from California would also be seen in action during the three-day sports festival, popularly known as the Modern Rural Mini-Olympics.

This year’s festival is being sponsored by Avon Cycles, Coca Cola and Bank of India. Prominent villagers settled abroad are providing financial and material assistance to organisers in holing the games.

In addition to this, competition in kabaddi, volleyball, basketball, athletics and wrestling would be organised. Kabaddi star players Pala Jalalpuria, Sandeep Nangal Ambian (England), Sultan, Gurmeet Mundian, Khushi Dibra, Gurlal Ghanuar and Sheera Pidho would display their skills, Sidhu said.

Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, chief organiser of these games, and advocate Harkamal Singh said the ceremonial games torch would be taken out from the Bhutta Engineering College to the main stadium at Jarkhar village, where villagers and gram panchyat Ghawadi would receive it.

Pritam Singh Grewal, Mayor, Hounslow (UK) and Daljeet Singh Grewal, former DGM, Rail Coach Factory, Kapurthala, and international hockey player would be the guests of honour.

Famous Punjabi singers, Kanwar Grewal, Rajvir Jawanda and Gill Hardeep would entertain spectators on the final day of this festival.

Personalities to be felicitated

The organisers have decided to felicitate prominent personalities for their contribution in their respective fields on January 27. Kabaddi star Pala Jalalpuria would be given the ‘Punjab Di Kabaddi Da Maan’ award, while hockey Olympian, Rupinder Pal Singh would receive the ‘Olympian Surjit Singh’ award. The ‘Bhagat Puran Singh’ award would be presented to noted environment crusader, Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal. Ace athlete Navjeet Kaur Dhillon, a gold medallist in Commonwealth Games, would be decorated with the ‘Punjab Di Dhee’ award and singer Gill Hardeep would be given the ‘Culture Heritage Jagdev Singh Jassowal award. The award for sports promotion would be bestowed upon sports journalist Santokh Singh Mander, said Jagroop Singh.