Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday, 24 May 2026 presided over the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, DBT and Cash Award distribution ceremony in Chandigarh, honouring 1,070 athletes with a combined prize money of ₹32 crore 5 lakh for bringing glory to Punjab on national and international stages.

Context

Posting in Punjabi on X, CM Mann wrote: 'Khelda Punjab, Badlda Punjab' [Playing Punjab, Changing Punjab], capturing the ceremony's spirit. He said the government was honoured to recognise athletes who had 'illuminated Punjab's name across the country and the world.' Congratulations were extended to all athletes, coaches, and parents.

Among the headline recipients, women's cricket World Cup winners Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol, and Amanjot Kaur were each awarded ₹1.5 crore, while para powerlifter Parmjit Singh received ₹55 lakh for his international achievements.

Policy Backdrop

The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award — named after the founder of the Sikh Empire — has been conferred on outstanding Punjab athletes since at least 2019. At Sunday's ceremony, 87 distinguished athletes from 2019 to 2023 were presented the award, clearing a backlog that had accumulated over multiple years.

The Aam Aadmi Party government, which came to power in 2022, has framed sports investment as a direct counter to Punjab's entrenched drug-abuse crisis. CM Mann stated that his government has set an ₹1,790 crore sports budget — described as historic — launched the 'Khedan Watan Punjab Dian' scheme for mass grassroots participation, and is constructing sports grounds in villages across the state to bring about a 'revolution against drugs.'

Stakeholders and Impact

The 1,070 athletes honoured span disciplines ranging from cricket and para-sports to other national and international competitions. The direct benefit transfer (DBT) mechanism ensures prize money reaches players' bank accounts without intermediaries, a feature the government has highlighted as a transparency measure.

Coaches and parents were specifically acknowledged by the Chief Minister, signalling a broader ecosystem approach to athlete development rather than focusing solely on individual medal-winners. For Punjab's youth, the village-level infrastructure push under 'Khedan Watan Punjab Dian' is intended to provide accessible sporting facilities as an alternative to substance abuse.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of India's women's T20 World Cup-winning side, is among Punjab's most recognised sporting ambassadors. Her recognition alongside teammates Harleen Deol and Amanjot Kaur underlines the state's strong representation in Indian women's cricket.

What's Next

The government's commitment to completing village sports grounds under the expanded budget will be a key metric to watch in the coming months. Punjab's performance at upcoming national and Asian-level competitions will test whether the increased investment is translating into a broader medal pipeline beyond the state's established cricket and combat-sports base.

With the ₹1,790 crore sports budget framing sports as both a prestige project and a social stability tool, the Mann government has set a high benchmark — and the delivery of grassroots infrastructure will determine whether the 'Khelda Punjab, Badlda Punjab' vision moves from ceremony to sustained change.