Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 3

Former international and coach of the 1992 Indian Olympic hockey team Sukhvir Singh Grewal has taken over as Technical Adviser to Punjab Sports Department to oversee implementation of the Panchayati Yuva Krida Abhyan (PYKA) in the state.

Sukhvir Grewal, who played for India for a number of years, had also worked on the faculty of National Institute of Sports, Patiala. Besides representing Panjab University, Indian Universities, Punjab Police and Indian Airlines, he took to coaching after retiring from competitive hockey. He also remained with the training of India junior hockey teams for a number of years. Of late he has been closely associated for reviving hockey at grass root level.

Talking to The Tribune here this evening, Sukhvir Grewal said that his main job is to organise rural sports at village, block, district and state level under a centrally funded scheme.

Each village will be given a one-time grant of Rs one lakh for the development of infrastructure or a minimum of a level playfield where the village boys and girls can come, train, practice and hold their competitions. In each village, a known sportsperson or physical fitness trainer or physical education teacher would be employed on honorary basis and would be paid Rs 6000 per annum as honorarium.

Punjab, says Sukhvir Grewal, has chosen for inclusion in the scheme games like hockey, kabaddi, track and field, football, volleyball, kabaddi, kho kho and basketball. The annual budget will be around Rs 250 crores that will cover in the first phase 1200-odd villages and 14 blocks.