Three days State Gatka Championship concluded with Khalsai fervour and festivity

Mohali/New Chandigarh : The Three-day 8th Punjab State Gatka Championship organized by the Punjab Gatka Association under the aegis of the Gatka Federation of India at Ratwara Saheb near Chandigarh concluded on Friday with full “Khalsai Jaho-Jalal”. ( fervour and festivity) .
Punjab Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh, Director Sports Harpreet Singh Sudan IAS and President of Gatka Federation of India Harcharan Singh Bhullar IPS graced the concluding ceremony Punjab Gatka Association President Dr. Rajinder Singh Sohal warmly welcomed Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh and Gatka Federation of India President Harcharan Singh Bhullar IPS .
It is noteworthy that more than one thousand children from different district in the age group of 14, 17, 19, 22, 25 and 28 years participated. Cabinet Minister Balkar Singh distributed prizes to the winning teams and encouraged the players.
Speaking on the occasion, Balkar Singh said that he is always present in the service of efforts to connect the coming generations with the heritage sport. He appreciated the efforts made by the Gatka Federation of India and the Punjab Gatka Association to make Gatka an international sport and encouraged children to join Gatka.
Earlier in the morning, Sardar Harcharan Singh Bhullar inaugurated the third day’s games and encouraged the children. In his address, Bhullar congratulated the Punjab Gatka Association and appreciated the good arrangements made by them. He said that the Gatka Federation of India recently performed outstandingly in Khelo India and now it is hoped that the children would perform better in the National Games to be held in Assam in August.
Speaking on the occasion, Director Sports Harpreet Singh Sudan IAS congratulated the children and threw light on the efforts being made at the government level to make Gatke more and more popular. Thanking all the players and their respective coaches who accompanied them on the occasion from all the districts of Punjab, Sohal said that the association is working sincerely to take the heritage game of Punjab to the next generation.
Baljinder Singh Toor, General Secretary, Gatka Federation of India informed about the winning teams that Ludhiana district stood first, Malerkotla district second, and Patiala district third. Meanwhile, the association expressed special thanks to MD Verka Amit Dhaka IAS, Girish Dayalan IAS MD Markfed, and Rahul Gupta IAS AMD Markfed for arranging refreshments for the children.
SGPC member Paramjit Singh Lakhewal, SGPC member Nirmal Singh Jolla, Surinder Singh director verka plant mohali, Ratwada Sahib School Director Jaswant Singh, Gurdwara Sri Bhatta Sahib Ropar Manager Jasveer Singh Ghungrali, Pavitra Singh Head Granthi, Baba Sukhwinder Singh Ji, kuldeep singh on behalf of MLA Kulwant Singh , Akwinder Singh Gosal, RP Sharma, Jagkiran Kaur Waraich Joint Secretary, Davinder Singh Jugni Vice President Punjab Gatka Association, Arshad Dali , Media Incharge Prabhmeet Singh, Jagseer Singh Chandigarh, Jaswinder Singh Pabla, Jagdish Singh Kurali, Rajveer Singh, Harsimran Singh Sandhu Colonel Retd President of Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Foundation Pahuwind, Raghubir Singh Dehlon, Harman Singh and a large number of dignitaries were present.