To mark the onset of Punjab's biggest sports extravaganza 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan Season-2', a torch relay was flagged off from Guru Nanak Stadium Ludhiana on Tuesday. MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi along with eminent sports personalities of the district flagged off the relay and said that this event has proved a catalyst in promoting sports culture in the state.
The MLA further mentioned that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led state government was committed to making Punjab a leading state in the country in sports by promoting sports culture in the entire state. He said that the Season-1 of Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan had witnessed immense success and now the state is ready for the season second for this mega sports event.
Mr. Gogi said that this year, the government has decided to start a torch relay to mark the inception of this event so that maximum awareness could be created among people about this upcoming event. He said that the relay would pass through all district headquarters; thereby spreading the message of this upcoming event so that a large number of people could participate in it.
The MLA stated that according to the tradition of the Games, the torch relay has started from Ludhiana before opening ceremony of the season-2 of the Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan and will go through to every district headquarters in Punjab for a week.
Divulging more, the MLA said that last year the first season of 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan' had ended in Ludhiana, due to which the torch will be started from Ludhiana and after marching all over Punjab, the torch will reach Bathinda on August 29, where the second season of the Games will be inaugurated.
The torch relay at each district headquarters will be attended by local eminent sportspersons, sports department personnel, local representatives and district administration officials. Notably, the relay will go from Ludhiana to Moga on August 22, Ferozepur, Tarn Taran and Amritsar on August 23, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Hoshiarpur on August 24, Jalandhar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Rupnagar on August 25, SAS Nagar, Sri Fatehgarh Sahib and Malerkotla on August 27, Patiala, Sangrur and Mansa on August 28, Barnala, Faridkot and Fazilka on August 28 and at Sri Muktsar Sahib and Bathinda on August 29.
Dronacharya Awardee Athletics Coach Sukhdev Singh Pannu, Hockey Olympian Hardeep Singh Grewal, Eminent Sports administrator Teja Singh Dhaliwal, SDM Gursimran Singh Dhillon, District Sports Officer Rupinder Singh Brar were also present on the occasion. They lauded the efforts of Punjab Government to promote the rich sports legacy of the state through this mega event.
They further added that the event has seen participation of people from across all age groups; thereby making it an extraordinary sports event.