Now Reading: Punjab bets on sports to steer 10 lakh youth away from drugs
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Punjab bets on sports to steer 10 lakh youth away from drugs
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has launched the fourth edition of 'Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan', a multi-sport event expected to draw over 10 lakh participants aged 14 to above 70 across the…
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann has launched the fourth edition of 'Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan', a multi-sport event expected to draw over 10 lakh participants aged 14 to above 70 across the state. The games run from September 6 to November 9, covering 38 sports and 4 para-sports across all 153 blocks and 23 districts. Winners will receive certificates that may help them qualify for jobs under the sports quota.
The initiative comes as Punjab police report arresting over 75,000 drug smugglers in more than 54,000 FIRs between March 2025 and August 1, 2026, and seizing 3,472 kg of heroin. Mann said the government has allocated Rs 1,794 crore for sports this year, and is developing 3,148 sports grounds and 6,000 village gyms. Gold medal winners will get Rs 10,000, silver Rs 7,000 and bronze Rs 5,000.
The move aims to keep youth occupied with constructive activity rather than drugs, and to identify talented athletes who can compete at national and international levels. Mann said the games bring 'different generations together' through nine age-group categories.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Khedan Wattan Punjab Diyan tournament, now in its fourth edition, is the centrepiece of a strategy that shifts the drug battle from policing to prevention. Punjab has the highest proportion of drug users among Indian states, according to the 2019 National Survey on Extent and Pattern of Substance Use, and repeated crackdowns have failed to dent demand. The games cover all 153 blocks and 23 districts, turning every village into a talent-spotting ground with a direct link to government jobs through the sports quota, a rare ladder for rural youth. Prize money remains modest: ₹10,000 for gold. The real bet is on scale and daily engagement, not cash. Watch for the participation figures when the tournament ends on November 9, if the government sustains this across multiple years, the model may offer a template for other states wrestling with the same crisis.
Source: timesnownews.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
