Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday vowed to restore the state’s “pristine glory” in hockey, asserting that Punjab has always been at the heart of India’s sporting achievements.
Speaking at the final of the Punjab Junior Hockey League 2025 at Surjit Hockey Stadium, Mann was joined by Hockey Punjab President and Hockey India Vice President Nitin Kohli, Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat, and Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal. Nitin Kohli also handed over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh to the Chief Minister as a contribution towards the Chardi Kala Mission.
Mann, who called himself an ardent sports lover, said the government was committed to building top-class infrastructure for the next generation of athletes. He announced that two ultra-modern sports complexes would soon be constructed in Jalandhar and Amritsar, along with more than 3,000 new stadiums in villages across Punjab.
Calling hockey “Punjab’s greatest gift to the nation,” Mann recalled how players from the state had repeatedly revived the game at the international level. He noted that in the Asia Cup-winning squad and the two Olympic medal-winning teams, nine players hailed from Punjab. “In the Indian team that created history at the Paris Olympics, four players were from Jalandhar alone,” he said, naming Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Hardik Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh.
The Chief Minister highlighted Jalandhar’s identity as the “Sports Capital,” where equipment made in local factories — from footballs and rugby balls to cricket bats — are used in World Cups and Commonwealth Games. He also praised the legacy of Surjit Hockey Stadium, which brought together three generations of hockey greats during the event, including members of the 1975 World Cup-winning squad and the 2001 Junior World Cup champions.
Mann expressed pride in the Punjab Junior Hockey League, which he described as the first-ever junior league in India and one with the highest prize money in the sport. The tournament, which began in Mohali, culminated in Jalandhar with an exhibition clash between a “Legend XI” led by Olympian Gagan Ajit Singh and a “Star XI” captained by current national skipper Harmanpreet Singh.
Earlier, the Chief Minister also felicitated Olympians who had represented India in international hockey tournaments. He said Punjab’s ongoing Khedan Watan Punjab Dian initiative was successfully weaning youth away from drugs while creating a culture of sports across the state.