Punjab to give Maharaja Ranjit Singh award to 30

Chandigarh, July 6 (UNI) The Punjab Sports Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike today announced that the State Government would soon invite applications for the Maharaja Ranjit Singh sports award for 2005 to 2007.

Speaking on the occasion of distribution of sports equipment to trainees and coaching centres/sports academies of districts of Sangrur, Faridkot, Ludhiana and Jalandhar on a hectic day, Gulzar Singh Ranike said that the state government had sanctioned an amount of Rs 65 lakh to be disbursed among 30 players from 27 sports disciplines, who would be shortlisted for the coveted Maharaja Ranjit Singh award.

Mr Ranike further said that the state government had also sanctioned Rs 45 lakh to be disbursed among 11 state sportspersons who had brought laurels to Punjab by winning medals in the Doha Asian Games.

Congratulating the medal winners, Mr Gulzar Singh Ranike said that a fucntion would be soon organised to feliciated the winners.

Sports Director Pargat Singh said that Punjab sportspersons had won 10 gold, 18 silver and 26 bronze medals in the Doha Asian Games.

Among the medals were were Mandeep Kaur, Sandeep Kaur (athletics), Manpreet Singh (kabaddi), Manavjit Singh Sandhu (shooting), Harveen Sarao (shooting), Avneet Kaur (shooting) and Palwinder Singh Cheema.

Pargat Singh said the sports minister was disbursing sports equipment worth Rs two crore in all districts of the state.

Mr Ranike attended four functions today and disbursed sports equipment for districts of Sangrur, Patiala, Mansa, Faridkot, Firozepur, Bathinda, Muktsar, Ludhiana, Moga, Ropar/Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Nawanshahr.

Earlier, Mr Ranike had distributed sports equipment worth Rs 25 lakh at Amritsar for Amritsar, Taran Tarn and Gurdaspur.

UNI