“The Punjab Government accords top priority to the upgradation and development of the sports infrastructure in order to achieve the target of making Punjab once again the occupier of numero uno position as well as promulgating measures aimed at the creation of congenial environment for players to focus upon their game. It is with this strategy in mind that the sports policy was brought into force this year and keeping precisely the benefit of players in mind that the system of ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards’ was instituted.”Disclosing this here today at Punjab Bhawan while chairing a meeting of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award Screening Committee, the Sports Minister, Punjab, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said that the backlog pertaining to the 2011-2016 in terms of giving the award would be cleared very soon and keeping this very aspect under consideration more than 60 players including handicapped players have been recommended for the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards. These names would be sent to the apex body headed by the Chief Minister which would take the final decision in this matter.
He also said that those players hailing from Punjab who had bagged Padma Shri, Arjuna Award and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awards in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 would be eligible for directly being honoured with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award.Rana Sodhi further said that these players would be honoured soon at a State Level function and furthermore, 800 medal winners of Punjab at various National and International sports events would be felicitated on 15th November with cash prizes in a function to be held at Mohali.Earlier, while meeting a delegation of the Para Sports Association of Punjab, the minister assured them that the State Government is fully committed to their welfare and would always keep their interest in mind at the time of framing any policy. Rana Sodhi also assured to sympathetically consider their demand of getting the Para Sports Association of Punjab recognized from the Punjab State Sports Council.Among others present on the occasion included the Principal Secretary, Sports & Youth Affairs, Punjab, Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Director, Sports Mrs. Amrit Kaur Gill, and Assistant Director Sports, Punjab, Mr. Kartar Singh Sehamby.