In a major push to promote sports, the Ludhiana district administration has established 24 sports nurseries across the city, offering facilities for volleyball, athletics, boxing, hockey, cycling, archery, gymnastics, basketball, and other games. Coaches have been appointed to nurture talent in both urban and rural areas. However, a severe cash crunch may make it very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve these objectives.
Insufficient Funding for Sports Nurseries
All 24 sports nurseries have collectively received only Rs 2.5 lakh in grants. On an average, each nursery gets about Rs 10,000 per month. Sports enthusiasts in the city have pointed out that this amount is insufficient to cover even the basic monthly expenses of any sports facility. The nurseries are located across Ludhiana, including open grounds in nearby villages, government college and school grounds, to provide initial sports training and facilities to young athletes.
Location and Facilities
The sports nursery for volleyball is located at the Government College for Girls, Sector 39; the football nursery is in Sarabha village; gymnastics is at Shaheed-e-Azam Sukhdev Thapar Government School; athletics is at Government Senior Secondary School, Sahnewal; archery is at Daba Stadium, Daba Road, Ludhiana; and wrestling is at Jagat Colony, Khanna.
Lack of Sports Equipment
A visit to the sports nurseries revealed that sports equipment is not available for athletes of various disciplines. Officials attributed this shortage to a lack of finances. Ajitpal, supervisor of the sports nurseries, said, "We received a grant of Rs 2.5 lakh for sports nurseries in mid-November 2025. The nurseries are still in the nascent stage. We will get the government to meet their requirements as soon as possible." He added that officials, in-charges, and coaches are currently working on trials and selections for athletes who wish to join.
Government Response
District Sports Officer (DSO) Kuldeep Chugh said concerns about the required sports equipment have been raised with higher authorities. "As of now, the department has bought some equipment for the initial phase and beginning of these nurseries. Whatever remains, including grants and sports equipment, will be provided as soon as possible," Chugh stated.
