As announced by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, preparations for the upcoming International Hockey Tournament to be held in Jalandhar and the renovation work of the stadium are progressing at a war footing. In this regard, Aam Aadmi Party Jalandhar Central constituency in-charge Nitin Kohli, along with representatives of Hockey Punjab, the Sports Department, PWD, and the Tournament Director from Hockey India, jointly visited the stadium today to review the progress of the ongoing development works.
On this occasion, Nitin Kohli said that it is a matter of great pride and happiness for Jalandhar and the entire state of Punjab that a major international hockey tournament is going to be held on Punjab's soil. He said that this achievement is the result of the visionary thinking of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and his commitment towards hockey. It is due to the coordination between the Chief Minister and Hockey India that Punjab has been awarded this prestigious tournament.
He informed that six international teams, including Pakistan, will participate in the Asian Hockey Championship to be held in Jalandhar. In addition, the Punjab Government will soon launch a Punjab League Team and a Junior League Team for the development of hockey in the state.
Nitin Kohli said that this will be the first major international hockey tournament of this level to be held in Punjab since Independence. He said that the credit for this goes to the Chief Minister of Punjab, Hockey Punjab, and all hockey lovers.
He stated that work is underway to equip the stadium with world-class facilities at an estimated cost of around ₹18 crore.
He further said that efforts are being made to organize a match between India and Pakistan on November 1, Punjab Day. To make this tournament memorable, the stadium is being given a modern and attractive look. He added that the government is seriously working towards restoring the glory of hockey, Punjab’s traditional sport.
Nitin Kohli also informed that the opening and closing ceremonies of the league will be held in Mohali, while all the remaining matches of the league will be played in Jalandhar. The construction work of the practice pitch outside the stadium is also progressing rapidly and will be completed soon.
During the inspection, Olympian Gurjant Singh (PCS) said that the stadium will be fully upgraded to meet international standards within the next three months. Under this project, the most important task is the modernization of the flood-lighting system. Besides this, players’ changing rooms, stadium entry and exit routes, gate heights, and other basic infrastructure are also being upgraded according to international standards.
He said that Jalandhar has always been an important center of Indian hockey, and many great players of the country began their sporting careers from this very ground. This international tournament, being organized in Punjab after nearly 33 years, will prove to be a major gift for players and sports enthusiasts.
He added that keeping in mind the possible India-Pakistan match and other international fixtures, arrangements for spectator seating, toilets, security measures, and entry and exit points in the stadium are being modernized. The main matches of the tournament will be played in the existing stadium, while the newly constructed ground will be used as a practice pitch.
He said that through these efforts of the Punjab Government, Jalandhar is once again moving towards establishing a strong identity on the world hockey map.
Among those present on the occasion were ADC Amarjit Singh Bains, DSO Gurpreet Singh Bajwa, Olympian Gurjant Singh (PCS), Senior Deputy Mayor Balbir Singh, Amrik Singh Pawar, Director Vikram Pal, XEN Rajesh Channa, Deputy Director Sports Ranbir Singh Bhangoo, SDO Taranpreet Singh, Harpreet Singh (SDO Sports), and Manjit Singh (SC, PWD B&R), along with other officials and dignitaries.