CHANDIGARH: In order to promote sports culture in the state as per the commitment of Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann, Punjab Information & Public Relations, Housing & Urban Development, New & Renewable Energy Sources and Printing & Stationery Minister Mr. Aman Arora, on Saturday, inaugurated 'Khedan Halqa Sunam Diyan' organised in the memory of Late Punjab Minister Babu Bhagwan Dass Arora, the father of Mr. Aman Arora, at Shaheed Bhai Mati Das Senior Secondary School, Longowal.
This would be for the first time in the history of Punjab that as many as 207 teams, comprising 2037 players, from a same constituency are participating in the rural sports, stated the cabinet minister.
Mr. Aman Arora also felicitated Padma Shri heavyweight International Boxer Kaur Singh, Gold medal winner of Asian Games and Padma Shri Sunita Rani, Gold Medalist Athlete of Asian Games, while calling them sports icons of Punjab.
He interacted with players and urged them to play with spirit of sportsmanship. The Cabinet Minister informed that three categories of sports— Volleyball Shooting, Volleyball Smashing and Tug of War, are being organised to promote sports culture at the ground level as per the commitment of Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann, who is ardent sports lover.
Highlighting the projects being carried out in Sunam constituency, Mr Aman Arora said that a stadium will be constructed with the cost of Rs. 3.97 crore at Longowal to ensure the state-of-the-art sports infrastructure to the youth. Apart from this, Shaheed Bhai Mati Das Senior Secondary School, Longowal and Govt Senior Secondary School (Boys), Sunam will be converted into School of Eminence, Rs 3.62 crore will be spent on completion of the remaining construction of two storeys of Govt School (Girls), Sunam and Rs 1.31 crore will be spent on the Bus stand and boundary wall of Civil Hospital will be constructed with cost of Rs. 38 lakh.
The Cabinet Minister further said that Babu Bhagwan Dass Arora Memorial Sunam Super League under the banner of 'Khedan Halqa Sunam Diyan' is being organised by the Babu Bhagwan Dass Arora Memorial Foundation. Pertinently, Babu Bhagwan Dass Arora Memorial Foundation has been organising medical camps and carrying out other social works for the welfare of public for over a decade.
Recently, Mann Government had also organised the three-month long sports gala "Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan" to identify hidden talent and thereafter hone that talent to produce international level sportspersons from the state and over 3 lakh sportspersons participated in this mega sports event, said the cabinet minister.
Mr. Aman Arora said that winner teams of these three events will be bestowed with cash prizes along with trophies. Sports kits will also be distributed to all the participating teams, he added.