Ludhiana, May 22 -- The district emerged as the biggest contributor to Punjab's baseball contingent as the state's boys and girls' teams departed from Ludhiana on Thursday for the 31st Sub Junior National Baseball Championship to be held at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, from May 24 to 29.

The championship will witness participation from teams across the country, with Punjab pinning high hopes on its young players, especially those from Ludhiana district, which has secured a major representation in both categories.

In the boys' team, four players from Ludhiana - captain Mankirat Singh, Chirag, Ayush and Ratan Kumar - earned selection after impressive performances in the state championship. The girls' squad saw eight Ludhiana athl...