Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Monday gave a major boost to grassroots sports by inaugurating more than 500 modern ‘Pendu Khed Maidan’ across various districts from Patiala, taking the total number of dedicated grounds to 734. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said the government was developing 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan across Punjab this year with a ₹1,744 crore sports budget, including ₹1,500 crore specifically for these grounds, alongside 600 rural gyms and greater financial support for sportspersons.
He said the initiative would provide rural youth with world-class sporting facilities while strengthening the government’s fight against drugs by promoting the message of ‘Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Sports’.
Punjab is working with the objective of creating a healthy body and a healthy mind. He added that, for the first time, the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy was being hosted in Punjab, with matches to be held in Jalandhar and Mohali during October-November. “The people of Punjab will get the opportunity to watch their hockey stars play on their home soil.
After dedicating the playgrounds in the second phase of the state government’s programme to develop 3,100 modern Pendu Khed Maidan across Punjab, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “With the objective of promoting sporting activity and providing world-class facilities at the grassroots level. After dedicating 255 Pendu Khed Maidan in the first phase, we are today dedicating another 509 Pendu Khed Maidan to the people. The Chief Minister said that 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan equipped with modern facilities were being developed across Punjab with a budgetary allocation of ₹1,500 crore. He said that Punjab had dedicated the year 2026 to sports and sportspersons. “This year, 3,100 Pendu Khed Maidan will be completed in Punjab. Alongside this, 6,000 rural gyms are being established, of which 500 have already been inaugurated,” he said. A T20 cricket league on the lines of the IPL is also being organised in Punjab, which will be played at the PCA Stadium, Mohali, from August 30 to September 13,” said the Chief Minister.
“Out of the 509 Pendu Khed Maidan being dedicated in the second phase, 43 are in Ludhiana, 41 in Mansa, 36 in Sangrur, 34 each in Bathinda and Patiala, 33 in Sri Muktsar Sahib and 32 in Amritsar, besides those being dedicated in other districts,” he added. The Chief Minister said that the grounds would also have football goalposts, volleyball poles, swings for children and other amenities. “Sports equipment was being provided to players according to the sport popular in each village. If cricket is popular in a particular village, a cricket kit will be provided there, and likewise, equipment for other popular sports will also be provided,” he said. The Chief Minister said that the fourth season of “Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan” would commence from Bathinda on September 5, with an estimated participation of 10 lakh players. The Chief Minister said that his government’s sports initiatives are aimed at creating a strong sporting ecosystem across Punjab, strengthening sporting culture at the grassroots level and providing young people with the facilities and opportunities needed to excel in sports.
