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It was in the year 1933 that Philanthropist Inder Singh Grewal envisioned an annual recreational meet. In this meet farmers from all the areas in the vicinity of Kila Raipur could come together and gauge their corporal endurance. This idea lead to the inception of the Kila Raipur Sports, which is indeed the undisputed “Rural Olympics”. It’s aim was promoting both healthy mind and body.
Kila Raipur Sports Festival – The rural Olympics of Punjab
In more than six decades the festival has evolved from just a toddler to an energetic young organisation. This rural sports festival has now become an annual international event. It is held in the first weekend of February. A team of organisers such as the Grewal Sports Association has taken the pioneering step of giving rural women an opportunity in sports.
The Reach
Today this festival draws attention from more than 4,000 sportsmen and women. They are from both recognised and traditional sports. It is a three-day festival and is attended by more than a million people. Also, many others watch it on television and read regarding it in newspapers and magazines.
Whether in Punjab, Toronto or Southall, Kila Raipur Sports is always famous. The participants come from all over the world. It takes several months for the immigrants in England, Canada or the USA to choose, train and let their Kabbadi and Tug of War teams come to this festival. This festival has now truly become an international sensation which makes the destination KILA RAIPUR very famous.
Present Work
Mr. Inder Singh Grewal envisioned the Games with a sole aim of “healthy mind in a healthy body”. He did so with the collaboration of Grewal Sports Association and its Watchword is “excellence”. It takes inspiration from the Olympic motto of “CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUS”. It is basically to provide a platform where boys, girls, men, women and veterans could exhibit their potential in recognised sporting events and traditional rural sports alike.
This festival has progressed year after year and has seen hundreds of Olympians and internationals as participants. It is the largest Rural Sports Stadium in the country. It is not just the annual Rural Olympics for the Grewal Sports Association, but it is also the sports promotion that gets great attention. The Association has also started a hockey academy for the schoolboys. Currently 150 budding hockey students train at the Academy on a usual basis.
Further Plans
The Association is going to extend the stadium further along with constructing new and modern hostel for the Academy students. They want to renew the field and put a synthetic surface for hockey. This event has now become the pioneer of organised “Rural Sports” in the entire country. It is actually the only meet that attracts sponsors from various multinational companies.
The prize money is huge and also attracts most talented sportsmen and women. There is no other rural sports meet that can even come close to the Kila Raipur sports. It is indeed magnanimous and the most prestigious one of its kind.
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