PATIALA: Contesting the Punjab assembly elections on tickets from different parties, a former kabbadi player, an ex-cricketer and an erstwhile polo player have different political ideologies but have a same goal of improving sports facilities in this district.
The Aam Admi Party has fielded former kabaddi player Gurlal Singh as its candidate from Ghanaur constituency.
Singh, who has built a sports stadium at Ajrawar village in Ghanaur, believes the constituency is very backward in the field of sports and more work needs to be done in this area.
If his party is voted to power in the February 20 polls, Singh said he would work to uplift sports infrastructure at the grassroot level and work for providing government jobs to sportspersons through a new policy.
Singh, who was an Assistant Sub-Inspector in the Punjab Police, had joined the AAP in June last year.
Achar Singh of village Pabri said, "People of Ghanaur are fed up with the candidates of traditional parties. A majority of the promises, made by them, have never been fulfilled. People want a change this time."
In the Patiala Rural constituency, Congress candidate Mohit Mahindra is in the fray.
Mohit Mohindra, who is he son of Punjab Minister Brahm Mohindra, was the captain of Punjab cricket team for Under-15, U-16 and U-19.
However, he could not pursue his passion further due to a knee injury.
He believes that more needs to be done to increase the interest of the youth towards sports.
Batting for vocational courses in sports, he says, "If a Congress government is again formed in the state it would work hard for this".
Once a polo player, former Punjab Chief Minister and Punjab Lok Congress President Amarinder Singh is contesting from his traditional seat Patiala Urban.
He has maintained that it has always been his priority to promote sports.
Amarinder Singh, the 79-year old scion of the erstwhile Patiala royal family, during his tenure as chief minister also established a sports university in Patiala district in the memory of his grandfather Maharaja Bhupinder Singh.
Shiromani Akali Dal candidate from Rajpura Charanjit Singh Brar says he enjoys playing volleyball and kabaddi.
SAD's Harinderpal Singh Chandumajra, who is contesting from Sanaur in this district, has also played hockey at the school level.
Patiala district is known as a sports hub and has contributed immensely to the sporting prowess of India.
The Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, which is Asia's largest sports institute, is also located here.