Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday conferred the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award on 87 players and also honoured 1,070 medal-winning sportspersons from different disciplines.
The Punjab government also distributed prize money worth Rs 32.05 crore to players through cheques during the ceremony.
Addressing the felicitation event, Mann said it was a historic day for Punjab as 87 players received the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award and 1,070 medal winners from various sports were honoured.
He said the Punjab government has honoured Olympic and Asian Games medal winners with Rs 1 crore each and also provided government jobs to nine medal-winning players.
“The players of Punjab have brought immense pride to the country and the state through their achievements on international platforms. It is our responsibility to stand firmly with them and ensure they receive the respect, recognition, and support they deserve,” Mann said.
Talking about the government’s sports policy, Mann said 220 players in Punjab were given Rs 8.61 crore for tournament preparations for the first time. He said the Punjab government has allocated a record sports budget of Rs 1,763 crore for the financial year 2026-27 to strengthen sports infrastructure and support athletes across the state.
“To encourage sporting talent in villages, 3,148 rural sports grounds are being developed at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore. These grounds will help young players from rural Punjab grow and excel,” he added.
Mann also said Punjab will host the Asian Champions Trophy for the first time, calling it a proud moment for the state. He announced that the India-Pakistan match during the tournament will be played on Punjab Day.
"Punjab has given countless medals and champions to the nation, yet earlier governments never ensured that the state got the opportunity to host major international sporting events. We have changed that mindset and brought Punjab to the centre of India's sporting map," Mann said. Taking a dig at previous governments, Mann said sports associations in Punjab were earlier controlled by politically connected people, but his government has opened opportunities for ordinary players on the basis of merit.
He said the government has cleared the pending backlog of honours from 2018 to 2023 by conferring Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards and distributing cash rewards to national and international athletes.
Mann also said the government has moved away from the old system of rewarding players only after victories. He said athletes are now being given financial support before tournaments so they can prepare properly and compete at the highest level.
"To support our players, the Punjab government has directly disbursed more than Rs 15 crore through a newly-launched sports portal for training and procurement of high-end sports equipment. The portal also includes customised grants for disciplines such as fencing, kayaking, shooting, and archery, and will help connect players with corporate sponsors," he said.
He added that the portal also provides customised grants for sports like fencing, kayaking, shooting and archery, besides helping players connect with corporate sponsors.
Among the top awardees, Indian Women’s Cricket Team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Amanjot Kaur received Rs 1.50 crore each for their international cricket achievements.
In shooting, world championship medalists Amanpreet Singh and Neeraj Kumar were awarded Rs 1.54 crore and Rs 1.52 crore respectively, while Kirandeep Kaur and Kritika Sharma received Rs 50 lakh each.
Rising shooter Vijayveer Sidhu received Rs 28.50 lakh, Wushu player Kushal Kumar got Rs 25 lakh, and para-powerlifting world champion Paramjit Kumar was awarded Rs 55 lakh for his achievements.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards were distributed across multiple yearly cycles to recognise consistent excellence in sports, Mann said. The Chief Minister also honoured Indian Men’s Hockey Team captain Harmanpreet Singh along with Olympic medalists Gurjant Singh, Rupinder Pal Singh, Mandeep Singh, Hardik Singh, Varun Kumar, Shamsher Singh, goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, and Dilpreet Singh.
The event also recognised Simranjit Kaur Baath, the first female boxer from Punjab to represent India at the Olympics. Punjab’s para-athletes were also honoured for overcoming physical challenges and bringing international recognition to the country.
Mann said nine Olympic medal-winning players have been appointed as PCS officers and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs). Highlighting Punjab’s hockey legacy, Mann said more than 50 Punjabi hockey players have won Olympic medals, while ten Punjabi players have captained the Indian hockey team at different Olympic Games.
“Villages like Sansarpur, Khusropur and Mithapur have made Punjab proud by producing more than 20 Olympians,” Mann said.
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