Overview

• Chief minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal laid the foundation stone in Bathinda for a statewide buildout of 3,100 multi-sport grounds budgeted at Rs 1,194 crore.
• The plan envisions village-level venues for hockey, football, volleyball and athletics, with the government supplying sports equipment for each site.
• Officials say 300 coaches have been appointed and ₹8 lakh support is being provided to athletes training for international competitions.
• Kejriwal cited a jump in the sports budget from about Rs 100 crore before 2022 to Rs 1,000 crore and pointed to a 2023 sports policy to deepen a sports culture.
• The government tied the rollout to its 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' campaign, asserting arrests of major drug smugglers, property demolitions and large narcotics recoveries.