Amritsar: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday envisioned that with the concerted efforts of his government, the state will soon emerge as a front ranking state across the country in the fields of sports.

Addressing the gathering during a cricket match organised as a part of Hope Initiative, a brainchild of the Amritsar Commissionerate Police, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab government has laid major thrust on the promotion of games in the state.

 He said that the result of this is that Punjabis have bagged 19 medals in the recently concluded Asian games, which is the highest tally of states in Asiad, since its inception. Bhagwant Singh Mann it is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that out of 68 goals scored in the Hockey event in the games 43 were scored by the members of the Indian Hockey squad from Punjab. 

The Chief Minister further said that Punjabis have been blessed with an indomitable spirit to conquer every field of their choice. He said that due to this Punjabis have proved their mettle across the globe with their hard work and dedication. Mann said that now that the Punjabis have decided to wipe out the curse of drugs from the state, the day is not far when Punjab will be completely drug free.

Mann envisioned that this event will act as a catalyst in making Punjab a drug free state by promotion of sports.

The Chief Minister also said that due to the strenuous efforts of the state government, the players of state are bringing laurels for the state in the games at national and international level. He said that the state government is incentivizing the players with cash awards and other facilities to encourage them to perform in national and international events. Mann further said that for the first time in the history of state players are being given financial assistance to prepare for international events.

The Chief Minister further said that the ‘Khedan Watan Punjab Dian’ is being organized by the state government which is a right step towards providing a platform to the players for showcasing their talent. He  asserted that these games are helping the state government to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the players which will be beneficial for grooming them for the national and international events in future. He further said that the state government is leaving no stone unturned to popularize sports in the state as it can play a key role in progress of the state and prosperity of its people.