Chandigarh, February 9 Determined to confront Punjab's drug crisis by reclaiming its sporting legacy, the Bhagwant Mann government on Monday approved the launch of the Punjab Cricket League (PCL), positioning sports as a strategic intervention for youth empowerment. The league, planned on the model of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is intended to systematically identify, nurture, and channel young talent into professional pathways, an official statement said here on Monday. It also stated that the league will channel youth towards sports and away from drugs. The league will simultaneously build a wider ecosystem of district- and state-level leagues across multiple sports to decisively pull the state's youth away from drugs and towards discipline, opportunity, and national representation.
Chairing a review meeting of the Sports Department, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the state government would collaborate with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organize the league, which will nurture young talent from across Punjab. "The state government will collaborate with the Punjab Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India to organize the Punjab Cricket League for nurturing the youth of the state," Mann said. "Today in Chandigarh, I held a meeting with senior officials of the Department of Sports and Youth Services to discuss various issues, with a focused deliberation on promoting sports culture across the state. All officials were directed to make their maximum contribution towards encouraging youth to take up sports, with the objective of building a healthy and fit society. The government is consistently working to restore sports culture in Punjab and to reconnect the youth with playgrounds across the state," he said.
Explaining the structure of the proposed league, Mann said that it would be organized on the lines of the Indian Premier League, with teams constituted on the basis of districts and geographical regions. "The Punjab Cricket League will be organized on the lines of the Indian Premier League, and teams will be formed on the basis of districts and geographical regions of Punjab such as Majha, Doaba and Malwa to compete in the tournament," he said. Mann said that the initiative would help create a strong pool of talented cricketers for both national and international competitions. At the same time, he underlined the need to promote other sports across the state. "District-level and state-level leagues should also be organized for games like volleyball, football, hockey, basketball, Kho kho and Kabaddi," the Chief Minister said, while adding that the Punjab government was working on an aggressive campaign to produce the maximum number of sportspersons. "Our aim is to ensure that more Punjabi players represent India in international sporting events," he said. Emphasising Punjab's rich sporting legacy, Mann said that the state has abundant sports talent and the government is fully committed to nurturing it. "Punjab has immense sports talent, and the state government will not leave any stone unturned to enable players to participate and win medals for India at the international level," he said. He said that sports provides a powerful avenue for the youth to excel and bring laurels to the state. "Games give our youth the opportunity to excel in sports and bring pride to Punjab," Mann said, asserting that the government is determined to restore the state's pristine glory in the field of sports. "The state government is committed to reviving Punjab's glory in sports, and no stone is being left unturned to achieve this goal," he added.
