Ludhiana, Nakodar, Mehatpur (Asian independent) (Harjinder pal Chhabra) The 37th Modern Rural Mini Olympics Jarkhar Games, sponsored by Royal Enfield, Avon Cycles, and Coca-Cola, marked a new chapter in the history of rural sports and concluded with great fanfare. In the Kabaddi Open category, 20 teams competed for the Naib Singh Grewal Memorial Kabaddi Cup, where Nandpur emerged as the champion, while Kadiana was the runner-up. In the Senior Men’s Hockey category, Ghawaddi Club defeated Lovely University Jalandhar 7-6 to win the championship. In Girls’Hockey, Punjabi University Patiala triumphed over Bathinda 4-2 to claim the title. In the Sub-Junior Jagtar Memorial Hockey Cup, Jarkhar Academy defeated Amargarh in a penalty shootout (4-3) after a 4-4 tie. In the Amarjit Singh Grewal Volleyball Cup Final, Khanjarwal defeated Gill. In Senior Citizens’ Kabaddi, Ropar won against Ludhiana 16-15, while in Tug of War, Jand Sahib triumphed over Burj Dona. The event’s Chairman Narinder Pal Singh Sidhu, Chief Organizer Jagroop Singh Jarkhar, and President Advocate Harkamal Singh revealed that during the final ceremony, several distinguished personalities were honored. District Education Officer Mrs. Ravinder Kaur received the “Punjab Diyan Dheeyan Da Maan Award” for her contributions to education. Renowned folk singer Jaswant Sandila, was honored with the “Sabhyachar da Maan Award”. Hockey Olympian Balwinder Singh Shammi received the “Olympian Sarjeet Singh Randhawa Award”. Eminent sports journalist and Punjab Government PRO Navdeep Gill was recognized for his contributions to sports journalism with the “Sports Promoter Amarjit Grewal Award”. Former Kabaddi superstar Tara Singh Ghangas from England was honored with the “Devi Dayal Award” in memory of the late coach and Kabaddi star. Olympians Ajit Singh (who scored a goal in 13 seconds at the 1976 Olympics) and Mahinder Singh Gill (athlete) were also honored with special awards. The awards were presented by Cabinet Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and MLA Jeevan Singh Sangowal. Additionally, AAP’s Punjab State President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora was honored by the Sports Wing of AAP with the “Punjab Da Maan Award”. The winning teams were awarded prizes by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, who also announced a grant of ₹2 lakh for the Jarkhar Hockey Academy. The opening ceremony was presided over by MLAs Jeevan Singh Sangowal and Kulwant Singh Sidhu. The final ceremony featured musical and dance performances, including choreography by Gill Hardeep, Nirmal Sidhu, Neetu Shatra Wala, and students of Dragon Academy Ludhiana. Avon Cycles distributed 50 bicycles to winners, while Vishal Cycles contributed 20 bicycles. Dabur and Coca-Cola provided high-quality food packages to all players. A community meal (Langar) was organized by Gurdwara Manji Sahib Mata Sahib Kaur Committee. Several notable personalities were present, including Ludhiana Planning Board Chairman Sharanpal Singh Makkar, Raj Kumar Aggarwal, Daljit Singh Narang (Royal Enfield, Delhi), Daljit Singh Bhatti (Coca-Cola), Sulekha Ji (Avon Cycles), Ashok Kumar, Ashok Bawa (Vishal Cycles), Ajaib Singh Garcha (UK), Hardeep Singh Railway, Anu Sharma, Sandeep Singh Jarkhar (Sarpanch), Gursatinder Singh Pargat, Shingara Singh Jarkhar, Tajinder Singh Jarkhar, Sahibjeet Singh Sabi, Dipinder Singh Dimpy, Paramjit Singh Neetu, Sabi Kunar (Canada), Surinder Singh Khanna, Inderjit Phullanwal, Balwinder Singh Mehmoodpura (Sarpanch), and Sukhmeet Singh Khanna. The event was a grand success, showcasing Punjab’s vibrant rural sports culture.
