Punjab’s Village Sports Festival brings over 10,000 children, 700 teams together

Chandigarh : Roundglass Foundation in collaboration with Kavita and Vinod Khann Foundation successfully concluded Punjab’s largest Village Sports Festival, a month-long grassroots sports movement that brought together 10,000+ children, 700+ teams, and communities across 12 districts of the state. Spanning from 21 November to 18 December, the festival marked a significant step in strengthening organised sports participation at the village-level and reinforced sport as a platform for youth development, community wellbeing and social inclusion. The closing ceremony, held at Chandigarh University, Gharuan, Mohali, Punjab on 18th December, was attended by Gurpreet Sunny Singh, Founder at Roundglass Foundation and Vishal Chowla, Leader, Roundglass Foundation, local community leaders, coaches, volunteers, parents, and young athletes. The ceremony acknowledged on-field performances as well as the collective participation, discipline and commitment demonstrated throughout the Festival. Launched in Pathankot, where Sri Sri Ravi Shankar flagged off the first match, the Festival gained early momentum, setting the tone for a state-wide program focused on grassroots sport. Over the weeks, village grounds across Punjab hosted organised sporting activities, with children participating in football and volleyball competitions. Reflecting on the Festival’s impact, Vishal Chowla, Leader, Roundglass Foundation, said,
“The Village Sports Festival reflects what can be achieved when communities come together with a shared objective. Over the past month, children have gained confidence, villages have engaged actively in sport and structured play has supported wellbeing and positive habits. This Festival reinforces our commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive sports ecosystem for rural Punjab. ”The Village Sports Festival was supported by partners including The Art of Living and Kavita and Vinod Khann Foundation, technical partner Punjab Football Club and sponsors such as Nivia, T&G, Shiv Naresh Constructions, whose collaboration played a vital role in enabling the scale and reach of the initiative.