Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' torch relay flagged off from Sangrur

Hindustan Times

19 hours ago

A torch relay for the state-level sports festival Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan–2025, being organised by the state government, commenced on Wednesday from the War Heroes Stadium, Sangrur. Deputy commissioner Sandeep Rishi flagged off the relay during which the torch was carried through the city by international athletes, including Parmjeet Kaur (handball), Gursewak Singh Cheema and Dakshnu Singh (roller skating), Harshdeep Kaur (weightlifting), along with several other state-level players. (HT Photo)
Deputy commissioner Sandeep Rishi flagged off the relay during which the torch was carried through the city by international athletes, including Parmjeet Kaur (handball), Gursewak Singh Cheema and Dakshnu Singh (roller skating), Harshdeep Kaur (weightlifting), along with several other state-level players.
The DC said the opening ceremony of the games will be held on August 29 at Hoshiarpur. The torch relay will travel across all districts of Punjab before culminating at Hoshiarpur on the same date. The schedule for block, district, and state-level games has already been released. Competitions will be held between September 3 and November 23, 2025, at various stadiums in villages, towns, and cities across Punjab.
Like previous years, more than 5 lakh players across 37 sports disciplines and nine age categories will compete for medals this year. Winners will receive cash prizes worth over ₹9 crore. Last year, para-athletics, badminton, and powerlifting were also included under the para category of these games.
As per the information, the relay will cover the following districts, Sangrur, Barnala, and Mansa (August 20); Bathinda and Sri Muktsar Sahib (August 21); Fazilka and Faridkot (August 22); Ferozepur and Tarn Taran (August 23); Sri Amritsar Sahib and Gurdaspur (August 24); Pathankot, Kapurthala, and Jalandhar (August 25); Moga and Ludhiana (August 26); Malerkotla, Patiala, and Sri Fatehgarh Sahib (August 27); Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar and Rupnagar (August 28); and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar before concluding at Hoshiarpur (August 29).
Rishi said that the purpose of organising such a large-scale sports festival is to channelise the immense energy of youth in a positive direction, keeping them away from the menace of drugs. Moreover, the games will give young boys and girls an opportunity to further develop their sporting talent. He appealed to the youth of Sangrur to actively participate in these games.