Punjab News- Punjab lacks behind in sports, drug menace ruins youth: Bajwa

Dhemawali (Faridkot), September 25, 2013: Partap Singh Bajwa, President, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today said that absence of sports culture and drug menace has pushed Punjab out of competition in the sports at national and international level.
While speaking at concluding ceremony of Kabaddi tournament organised by the Baba Fakkar Dass Sports Club of village Dhemawali, Bajwa complimented the youth club members for their sportsmanship and engaging youngsters in sports activities. He said that Punjab was in the grip of drug menace and youth was falling victim to drugs. It was unfortunate that Punjab drew blank in the medal tally of National Games and Punjab sportsmen performed poorly in Common Wealth Games and Asian Games last year. No individual from Punjab has qualified for the 2016 Olympics to be held in Brazil.
He said that Punjab had produced legends like Dara Singh (Wrestling) Milkha Singh in athletics, Dhayan Chand, Ajit Pal Singh (Hockey) and youth icons Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh. He said that Hockey team of India which won the Gold Medal in 1975 World Cup had all the 11 playing members from Punjab and team was got trained by the then Chief Minister Giani Zail Singh.
Bajwa said that SAD-BJP government had during the last seven years had made no headway in sports. They had made false promises in its manifesto to start Guru Hargobind Sport scholarship and best Sportsperson in each district to get Rs.10, 000 scholarships per year, to build air conditioned stadium in each district and sport budget would be be doubled. He said that the Kabbadi World Cup was started by Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to show up fake interest in sports. He said that in sharp contrast the ruling party was shielding the drug mafia to incapacitate the youth.
Bajwa said that Sukhbir Badal had tried to scuttle the sports tournament at Dhemawali village by arresting Congress MLA Joginder Singh Punjgrain and former MLA Kushaldeep Singh Dhillon along with members of youth club.
Sunil Jakhar CLP leader said that Sports were an integral part of Punjabi culture. He said that sports subject was part of school curriculum and block and district level sports festivals were an annual feature but now physical health was last priority and sports all activities in schools were discontinued.
Beside Punj Grain and Dhillon, others who were present on occasion included Gurpreet Singh Kangar Vice President PPCC, Amarinder Singh Raja Wring MLA, Darshan Singh Brar, Ajit Inder Singh Mofar and Heera Sodhi.