Spotlight
oi-Oneindia Staff
Punjab witnessed a major show of support for sports and a drug-free future on Sunday as nearly 20,000 youngsters and players took part in the state’s biggest ‘Youth Run Punjab-2026’ in Bathinda.
Nearly 20,000 participants joined the ‘Youth Run Punjab-2026’ in Bathinda on Sunday, an event backed by CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and Arvind Kejriwal to promote sports and a drug-free future under the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign.
The event, organised under the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, brought together children, youngsters, women and senior citizens. The large turnout was seen as a strong message against drugs and in favour of sports, fitness and a healthier Punjab.
The event also gave a major push to the Punjab government’s ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign. Winners were awarded cash prizes of up to ₹11,000, while all participants received T-shirts and participation medals.
AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal praised the participation in the event in a post on X.
“This is the new Punjab. That lost hope is back. You can see the spark in our youth. With the support of the Punjab govt, the youth are taking the lead to clear the drug menace from Punjab. This is heartwarming,” he wrote.
Kejriwal said the active participation of young people showed that Punjab’s youth were coming forward to fight the drug problem by choosing sports and fitness.
Speaking to the media, Bhagwant Singh Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman said the Bathinda event was the third marathon in the series. He said the initiative was launched from Mohali and that nearly 20,000 people participated in the Bathinda run.
“People of all ages and from all walks of life have participated with great enthusiasm. This shows the love and enthusiasm of Punjabis towards sports and fitness,” Ghuman said.
He also said the turnout was a response to attempts to portray Punjab negatively through the “Udta Punjab” narrative.
“The massive participation in the marathon has given a befitting response to those who tried to portray Punjab negatively through narratives such as ‘Udta Punjab’. Today, we want to show them ‘Charda Punjab, Khed’da Punjab and Bhajda Punjab – Rangla Punjab’,” he said.
Ghuman said the participation was completely organic, with people registering themselves and coming to the event on their own.
Ghuman said the response from Bathinda had set a new benchmark for the upcoming marathons in Patiala and Ludhiana.
“I congratulate the people of Bathinda for this tremendous response. The participation here has set a new target for our upcoming marathons in Patiala and Ludhiana,” he said.
He added that similar events would continue to be organised across Punjab and appealed to people to support the initiative.
“We will continue to organise such events across Punjab. I appeal to the people to keep supporting this initiative and continue encouraging our youth to choose sports and fitness over drugs,” Ghuman said.
The large turnout in Bathinda has strengthened the message of the ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign, with Punjab’s youth being encouraged to choose sports, fitness and a drug-free lifestyle.
