Punjab Launches Sporting Revival with ₹78 Crore Multi-Sports Complex in Jalandhar
Jalandhar, June 11
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal today laid the foundation stone for the Burlton Park Sports Hub in Jalandhar, a ₹78 crore project marking India’s first-of-its-kind multi-sports complex, as part of the Yudh Nasheyan De Virudh (War Against Drugs) campaign.
Speaking at the event, Kejriwal called it a historic day, noting that the complex, set to be completed within a year, will enable thousands to engage in sports and lead healthier lives. He blamed past governments for Punjab’s decline in sports due to regressive policies that fueled the drug crisis, but highlighted that Operation Bulldoze has dismantled the drug network by seizing and demolishing smugglers’ properties. Kejriwal announced plans for modern stadiums in every village to divert youth from drugs, aiming to reposition Punjab as a national leader. He also emphasized Punjab’s investor-friendly policies, including the FastTrack Punjab Portal, ensuring approvals within 45 days, and underscored the state’s industrial resurgence over the past three years.
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CM Mann reflected on Jalandhar’s rich sporting heritage, particularly in hockey, with many national players emerging from the region across generations. He criticized past political mismanagement for the state’s sporting decline but vowed to restore its glory through strategic efforts. Reviving sports, he said, is a key pillar of the anti-drug campaign, channeling youth energy positively. Mann revealed that Burlton Park will be renamed after a legendary Punjabi athlete, shedding its colonial name, and announced upcoming international cricket stadiums in Jalandhar and Amritsar, following Mullanpur’s. He highlighted that the captains of India’s men’s and women’s cricket teams and the football team are from Punjab, asserting that the state will soon lead the nation in sports with upgraded infrastructure and a focus on athletic excellence.
Mann concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to Punjab’s holistic development, ensuring no effort is spared to restore the state’s former glory and position it as a leader in every field.
