DTF questions Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on his hollow claims of creating sports culture at grassroot level
CHANDIGARH: The poor performance by Punjab at the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 held in Bihar from May 4 to 15 has exposed the neglect of sports at the grass rot level in the state, despite the tall claims by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to create sports culture in the state.
The Democratic Teacher's Front (DTF) has expressed disappointment over the poor performance by Punjab in the absence of sports infrastructure and coaches in Punjab. The DTF said that Punjab had slipped from 8th to 13th position in the games. Out of more thayn 250 participants from Punjab, the state won only 47 medlas-8 gold, 14 silver and 35 bronze-raising serious concerns over state of sports development in Punjab.
In comparison, Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 158 medals (58 gold, 47 silver and 53 bronze) followed by neighbour Haryana which won 117 medals. The medals won by Punjab came from handful of sports, two each in Judo, Gatka and Shooting and one each in Gymnastics and Weightlifting. No gold medals were won in any other discipline, reflecting to poor performance of state.
The DTF leaders President Vikramdev Singh, General Secretary Mohinder Kaurianwali and Finance Secretary Ashwani Awasthi said that Punjab Government was wasting money on publicity for sports only in newspapers. Only 15 percent of the Rs. 13 crores, the total allocation on sports was spent on school level sports. They said that most of the funds were spent to glorify CM Bhagwant Mann and media campaigns to project CMs fantasies about sports. At ground level, the government is not giving any preference to sports in schools.
The DTF leaders compared Punjab with Delhi where approximately Rs.20, 000 per child is spent under sports quota while in Punjab figure is at Rs.1200 per child. The Teachers body demanded separate and dedicated fund for school sports, the recruitment of physical education teachers at primary level and making sports a compulsory subject upto 12th class. They also demanded that post of Director Sports be given to somebody with atheletic background preferable an Olympian who can take independent decisions for sports development.