The first-ever Sportstar Sports Conclave – Focus Punjab took place on Wednesday in Chandigarh. The event addressed issues in various sports disciplines and discussed ways to improve playing conditions.
It began with Punjab’s Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer lauding the state’s efforts in ameliorating its presence on the sporting landscape in India.
“Punjab is a state with a rich history, not just in sports. When the nation was attacked at the Gateway of India, the people coming to the forefront were Punjabis. We have a long history of contributions to the Armed Forces and law and order services,” Meet Hayer said.
“In sports too, for a very long time, we contributed immensely to the country’s sporting achievements and were number one. Now, this Asian Games performance is an indication that Punjab is heading back to the top.”
During the event, Uday Saharan, India’s U-19 World Cup captain, was named the Emerging Hero, while Brigadier Harcharan Singh, a member of the 1975 Hockey World Cup winning team, was named the Sportstar Hero Unsung Champion.
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Ranjit Bajaj, Director of Minerva Punjab FC, spoke about harnessing youth sports for honing skills.
“We keep talking about exposure, friendlies, and tours; all those are for experienced athletes, to improve 0.0001%. If you give the same exposure to youth, their exposure is 20–30 per cent. Ninety per cent of all sports is in the mind. Unless your mind believes, no matter what you do, you cannot do it,” Bajaj said in a panel discussion that also included Aditya Madan, Public Policy Consultant to the Punjab Education Minister, and Anandh Kumar, Special Secretary, Sports, Punjab.
Ranjit Bajaj (centre) speaks during the Punjab Sportstar Conclave at Chandigarh on February 28, 2024. | Photo Credit: R V Moorthy / The Hindu
Meanwhile, Avneet Kaur Sidhu, an Asian Games medallist in shooting, explained the benefit of inculcating the culture of sports, which the residents of Punjab pride themselves on, in the younger generation.
“My daughter is facing the same challenges I faced 24 years ago. That tells us where we are. We need to channel the energy of the youth towards sport, and most of the other problems like crime and drugs can be handled,” she said in a session titled Punjab Fuelling India’s Sporting Dreams.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist and Olympian Anjum Moudgil also echoed similar sentiments. “If the Government of Punjab really respects the senior athletes and gives them financial and other securities, that’s when the youth will be inspired to join sports,” she said.
Saravjit Singh, Special Chief Secretary, Sports, explained that the government is doing its best to ensure that the best coaches are available to train aspiring athletes.
“We are working in the right earnest in this direction, and the government is alive to the need. We had only 300–350 coaches. That number went up eight times straight away,” he said.
“We have made a simple five-step process to select a coach where physical fitness is a core part so that they can inspire the next generation. The written examination will only be secondary,” he added.
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