DW BUREAU / SAS Nagar (Mohali)

To promote shooting in government schools Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government has started to set up 10-meter shooting ranges at least in one school in each district, said Punjab Education Minister, Harjot Singh Bains at Mohali Shooting Range today.

He was here to felicitate the Olympians and international shooting players on the occasion of the Punjab State Shooting Championship held by the Punjab Rifle Shooting Association.

He said that the first shooting range would come up at Sri Anandpur Sahib out of the first phase 10 shooting ranges. He said that apart from that the state would promote hockey in schools too by laying six-side astroturfing. Similarly, swimming would also be promoted in government schools.

Appreciating the contribution of Punjab shooting players in the recently held Paris Olympics, he said that after hockey where 10 Punjab players represent the Indian team, Punjab is also marching ahead to be the nursery of shooting players as it has contributed 7 players out of a total 17 shooting players participated at Paris Olympics. He said that the Punjab Chief Minister has given a cash prize of Rs One Crore each to the eight players of the Bronze Medal Winner Hockey Team besides Rs 15 lakh each to the other 11 participants of the Paris Olympics. Earlier, Punjab had given Rs 15 lakh to each player for gearing up for the Olympics.

He felicitated the Punjab Shooting Players who represented India during the Paris Olympics including Sifat Kaur Samra, Anjum Moudgill, Arjun Babuta, Arjun Singh Cheema, Vijayveer Sidhu and World Champion Amanpreet Singh by giving Rs 75000 each on behalf of Punjab Rifle Shooting Association while Asian Games, World Cup Winners and Asian Championship Winners Ganimat Sekhon with 50,000, Gurjot Singh Khangura, Bhavteg Singh Gill, Harmehar Singh Lalli with 25000 each, Raj Kanwar Singh Sandhu, Sartaj Tiwana and Jasmin Kaur 15000 each while Coaches Sukhraj Kaur and Gurpreet Singh felicitated with Rs 25,000 each. He congratulated the Arjuna Awardee and Olympian Gurbir Singh Sandhu for motivating the Punjab players to excel at International level matches and competitions and assured him of briefing their contribution to Punjab CM S. Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Former IAS and Keerthi Chakra awardee, S S Boparai while recalling the journey of setting up of the North India's first shooting range at Ferozepur during his stint as Deputy Commissioner, said that every sport sought dedication to excel at the world level. He expressed hope that the Punjab Shooting Players would soon lead the Nation like Hockey Players.

Gurbir Singh Sandhu who also happens to be President of the Punjab Rifle Association said that with the patronage of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Association would eye on Medals in Los Angeles Olympics.

He said that the 59th Punjab State Shooting Championship hosted at Mohal's Phase 6 Shooting range has witnessed a record participation of 1700 players across the district, out of which over 600 bagged the positions.

Education Minister accompanied by Chairman Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia while distributing the prizes to the winners, also announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh to the Association for helping the underprivileged shooting players to give them opportunities to excel at the National and International level. Chairman, Punjab PHD Chamber of Commerce R S Sachdeva was also present.
(editor@dailyworld.in)