Candidates from Patiala with sports background trying their luck in upcoming assembly polls
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in
When anyone says Patiala-Patiala peg, Patiala Pugri (turban), Patiala Polo , Patiala based NIS comes immediately in everyone’s mind, as Patiala is worldwide famous for these things. Patiala, as a sports hub has contributed immensely to the sporting prowess of India.
The Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports, which is Asia’s largest sports institute, is also located here.
This year assembly elections, a variety of players- a former kabbadi player, an ex-cricketer and an erstwhile polo player are trying their luck in contesting the Punjab assembly elections on tickets from different parties. All have different political ideologies but have a same goal of improving sports facilities in this district.
Punjab Lok Congress president and former chief minister of Punjab Capt Amarinder Singh, once a polo player, are contesting from his traditional seat Patiala Urban.
Capt Amarinder Singh also played Cricket, Hockey in his school days. He remained goalkeeper. He has maintained that it has always been his priority to promote sports.
Amarinder Singh, the 79-year old scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family, during his tenure as chief minister also established a sports university in Patiala district in the memory of his grandfather Maharaja Bhupinder Singh, though internationally famous NSNIS is also based in Patiala. His father Yadwinder Singh had handed over his palace to Govt of India, which established NSNIS.
The Aam Admi Party has fielded former kabaddi player Gurlal Singh as its candidate from Ghanaur constituency. Singh, who was an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Punjab Police, had joined the AAP in June last year.
Singh, who has built a sports stadium at Ajrawar village in Ghanaur, believes the constituency is very backward in the field of sports and more work needs to be done in this area. If his party is voted to power in the February 20 polls, Singh said he would work to uplift sports infrastructure at the grassroot level and work for providing government jobs to sportspersons through a new policy.
A villager said, “People of Ghanaur are fed up with the candidates of traditional parties. A majority of the promises, made by them, have never been fulfilled. People want a change this time.”
Harpal Juneja, shiromani akali dal Patiala (urban) candidate played cricket, swimming at state level. He remained vice president of Punjab Boxing Federation and had toured Australia, England, America along with the players.
In Patiala rural constituency , Punjab Lok Congress candidate Sanjeev Sharma Bittu played Cricket and remained in his college team.
In the Patiala Rural constituency, Congress candidate Mohit Mahindra is in the fray.
Mohit Mohindra, who is a son of Punjab Minister Brahm Mohindra, was the captain of Punjab cricket team for Under-15, U-16 and U-19. However, he could not pursue his passion further due to a knee injury. He believes that more needs to be done to increase the interest of the youth towards sports.
Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Rajpura Charanjit Singh Brar says he enjoys playing volleyball and kabaddi.
Candidates from Patiala with sports background trying their luck in upcoming assembly polls .SAD’s Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra, who is contesting from Sanaur in this district, has also played hockey at the school level.
February 10,2022
