Khedan watan Punjab Diyan- phase two: Patiala, Kapurthala cagers secure early wins at state-level contests

Organised by the Punjab government’s sports department in coordination with the district administration, the state-level games are being held across multiple age groups to provide promising athletes a platform to compete at the state level

The second phase of the state-level Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan commenced on Saturday across seven districts of Punjab, with intense basketball action getting underway at Guru Nanak Stadium as teams from Patiala, Kapurthala, and Mansa notched up opening-day victories.

Players in action during a basketball match at Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on Saturday. (Manish/HT)

Organised by the Punjab government’s sports department in coordination with the district administration, the state-level games are being held across multiple age groups to provide promising athletes a platform to compete at the state level.

Improvement trust chairman Tarsem Singh Bhinder visited the basketball hall at Guru Nanak Stadium on the opening day to encourage the participating players. District sports officer Mandeep Kaunsal, Punjab basketball association general secretary Teja Singh Dhaliwal, basketball coaches Jaspreet Singh, Saloni, and Jaspal Singh, alongside technical officials, were also present at the event.

In the under-14 girls’ category, Patiala defeated Rupnagar 25-11, while Kapurthala registered a convincing 25-8 win over Amritsar. Mansa also began its campaign on a winning note by beating Moga 18-6.

The under-17 girls’ category saw Patiala secure a strong 37-10 victory over Fatehgarh Sahib. Sri Muktsar Sahib defeated Hoshiarpur 20-11, and Kapurthala edged past Gurdaspur 42-31 in a closely contested encounter.

Meanwhile, in the under-21 women’s category, Fatehgarh Sahib beat Hoshiarpur 20-9, Amritsar defeated Mansa 33-23, and Faridkot recorded a narrow 14-12 win over Fazilka.

The opening day’s results highlighted a high competitive spirit among teams representing different districts, with several sides marking strong starts in their respective categories.

The ongoing basketball tournament features both boys’ and girls’ competitions across the under-14, under-17, and under-21 age groups, alongside the 21-30 and 31-40 categories for men and women.

In a related update regarding the schedule, fencing events initially planned for the second phase have now been deferred to the third phase due to a clash with other fencing tournaments taking place across the country.