Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Sunday reviewed the preparedness for the Sub-Junior National Badminton Championship scheduled to be held at the historic Raizada Hansraj Stadium in Jalandhar in December this year. During his visit, the Chief Minister announced a special grant of ₹2.14 crore for the construction of a state-of-the-art indoor badminton hall, reaffirming the Punjab Government’s commitment to strengthening sports infrastructure and promoting sporting excellence across the state.
During this, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said that after nearly 44 years, the National Badminton Championship is returning to the historic Raizada Hansraj Stadium. “The championship for the Under-13 category will provide a major boost to badminton in Punjab and further strengthen the sporting culture in the state. The Punjab Government is committed to promoting sports to channelise the boundless energy of the youth in a positive direction,” he added.
The Chief Minister handed over the sanction cheque of ₹2.14 crore to Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jalandhar Varjeet Singh Walia and Secretary of the Punjab Badminton Association Ritin Khanna for the construction of the new indoor badminton hall. “It is the first time in nearly six decades that a sitting Chief Minister has visited this iconic stadium, which has produced several outstanding badminton players,” he noted.
CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, “The Public Works Department will execute this project, and the tender process will begin shortly. Construction is expected to commence in August. The existing four outdoor multipurpose courts will be converted into a world-class indoor badminton facility equipped with international-standard infrastructure.”
The Chief Minister said that once completed, the Raizada Hansraj Stadium will have a total of 10 indoor badminton courts, making it the only venue in Punjab with such a large indoor badminton complex and one of the premier badminton centres in North India.
He said, “This upgraded infrastructure will significantly strengthen Punjab’s capacity to host prestigious national and international badminton tournaments. The stadium has been selected to host the Sub-Junior National Badminton Championship in December this year, which will be the first National Badminton Championship to be organised here in nearly four decades.”