Listen To This Post

3,083 villages to get playgrounds in first phase; sports nurseries, hostels, and coaching infrastructure also planned

Thenewsdose.com

Chandigarh, July 13:
In a bold move to combat drug addiction and promote a culture of sports among the youth, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday unveiled an ambitious plan to build playgrounds in all 12,500 villages across the state. The initiative aims to provide young people with access to sports infrastructure and productive engagement at the grassroots level.

Speaking to the media, Mann announced that the first phase will cover 3,083 villages, with work already underway to identify suitable land and begin construction.“This is the next step in our ‘War on Drugs’ campaign. We have to offer our youth meaningful alternatives—opportunities to channelise their energy into something positive like sports. Without playgrounds and proper infrastructure, we can’t expect them to stay away from drugs,” said the Chief Minister, who also holds the Sports portfolio.

From Village Fields to National Arenas

Highlighting the growing presence of Punjabis in Indian sports, Mann said that three captains of national teams—Hockey’s Harmanpreet Singh, Cricket’s Shubman Gill, and Football’s Gurpreet Singh Sandhu—are all from Punjab.“These youth icons are proof of what Punjab can achieve with the right infrastructure. If we can provide access and opportunity, many more such champions will emerge from our villages,” he said.

The CM emphasised that athletic tracks and Astroturfs would be part of the infrastructure in selected villages. “Depending on the local interest, the sport may vary from kabaddi to football or athletics, but every village will have a sporting outlet,” he added.

Cluster-Based Sports Nurseries, Hostels on the Cards

Mann also unveiled plans for setting up sports nurseries for clusters of villages, tailored to the popular sport of each region. These nurseries will include residential hostels, mess facilities, and quarters for coaches, creating a self-contained ecosystem for talent nurturing.“The budget for these nurseries has already been allocated. Our aim is to catch talent young and provide sustained coaching so that village-level athletes can grow to represent the state and country,” he said.

Land Support from Panchayats and NRIs

The Chief Minister thanked village panchayats across the state for offering their own land for the construction of playgrounds. Interestingly, he said, many NRIs have also come forward to donate land for this initiative.“This speaks volumes about the commitment of our diaspora to Punjab’s development. They realise that investing in youth and sports is the best way to safeguard our future,” Mann noted.

A Model of Preventive Governance

The playground initiative is being seen as a significant step in preventive governance, with the goal of steering youth away from drugs and crime by providing structured alternatives. Punjab, which has been grappling with the issue of substance abuse for over two decades, has seen several government efforts to address the crisis, but this is the first time that a statewide village-level sports infrastructure plan is being rolled out with this level of scale and detail.