Jalandhar, July 20 -- Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday announced a special grant of Rs.2.14 crore for the construction of a state-of-the-art indoor badminton hall at the historic Raizada Hansraj Stadium in Jalandhar. Through the project, the existing four outdoor multi-purpose courts will be converted into a world-class indoor badminton facility equipped with international-standard infrastructure, said the chief minister. Mann was visiting the stadium to review preparations for the Sub-Junior National Badminton Championship scheduled in December, which will host over 350 under-13 players from across the country. He said this would be the first national badminton championship to be organised here in nearly four decades. "The championship will provide a major boost to badminton in Punjab and further strengthen the sporting culture in the state. The Punjab government is committed to promoting sports to channelise the boundless energy of the youth in a positive direction," he added. Speaking about the upcoming indoor badminton hall, Mann said the public works department will execute this project, and the tender process will begin shortly, with construction expected to commence in August. "Once completed, the Raizada Hansraj Stadium will have a total of 10 indoor badminton courts, making it the only venue in Punjab with such a large indoor badminton complex and one of the premier badminton centres in north India," he said. He added that this upgraded infrastructure will significantly strengthen Punjab's capacityto host prestigious nationaland international badminton tournaments. During his visit, Mann, accompanied by deputy commissioner (DC) Varjeet Singh Walia and Punjab Badminton Association secretary Ritin Khanna, interacted with players, coaches and sports officials and reviewed the existing sports infrastructure at the stadium. "It is the first time in nearly six decades that a sitting chief minister has visited this iconic stadium, which has produced several outstanding badminton players," he noted. Mann said the Punjab government's sustained investment in sports infrastructure and athlete development had already started yielding encouraging results, with several players from the state earning places at higher levels of competition. The chief minister later also paid obeisance at the darbar of Dera Almast Bapu Lal Badshah during the annual fair at Nakodar and sought blessings for the peace, prosperity and all-round development of Punjab....