Punjab gets its own IPL-style league as Mann government announces Punjab Cricket League
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): Determined to restore Punjab's sporting heritage and eradicate drug abuse, the Bhagwant Mann government today approved the launch of the Punjab Cricket League (PCL). Under this league, sports will be viewed as a strategic intervention for youth empowerment rather than an outreach program.
The league, modeled after the Indian Premier League (IPL), is organized in collaboration with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) to identify, nurture, and professionalize young talent. It also aims to establish a comprehensive ecosystem of district and state-level sports leagues to steer the state's youth away from drugs and toward discipline, new opportunities, and national representation.
Giving details of some of the decisions taken at the meeting, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "I met with senior officials of the Sports and Youth Services Department in Chandigarh today to discuss various issues, including promoting a sports culture across the state. All officials were instructed to contribute their utmost to encourage youth to participate in sports, with the aim of creating a healthy society. The government is continuously working to restore the sports culture in the state and connect youth across the state to sports."
While presiding over the review meeting of the Sports Department, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that with the aim of nurturing young talent from across the state, the Punjab Government will organize the Punjab Cricket League in coordination with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India.
The Chief Minister said that such initiatives have played a vital role in world cricket. He added, “Cricketers like Imran Khan and Arjuna Ranatunga have given world cricket many famous players through such initiatives, and this league will greatly help in establishing Punjab as a nursery of cricketing talent.”
Explaining the proposed league structure, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that the league would be organised on the lines of the Indian Premier League and teams would be formed from all districts and geographical regions like Majha, Doaba and Malwa to participate in the tournament.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said that this league will help in creating a talented pool of cricketers for national and international level cricket tournaments.
He also stressed the need to promote other sports across the state. The Chief Minister said that district-level and state-level league tournaments should also be organized for sports like volleyball, football, hockey, basketball, kho-kho, and kabaddi. He further stated that the Punjab government is working on a concerted campaign to produce well-trained and talented players. He said, "Our aim is to ensure that more Punjabi players represent India in international sporting events."
Speaking about Punjab's rich sporting heritage, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said the state has a wealth of sporting talent and the government is fully committed to helping it flourish. He said the youth of Punjab have immense sporting talent and the state government will leave no stone unturned to enable the athletes to compete at the international level and win medals for the country.
He said that sports provide our youth with unparalleled opportunities to achieve great heights and hone their personalities, while providing them with the right direction to progress and bring glory to the state. Bhagwant Singh Mann stressed that the government is determined to restore the state's former glory in the field of sports. He further stated that the state government is committed to reviving Punjab's sports glory and is leaving no stone unturned to achieve this goal.