The youth wing of the Punjab AAP on Sunday held the ‘Punjab Youth Run 2026’ marathon under the state government’s anti-drug campaign, with party leaders urging participants to make fitness a regular part of their lives.AAP’s youth wing president and MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpura said that the marathon started from Gurdwara Sri Amb Sahib and witnessed enthusiastic participation from youngsters, sportspersons, women, senior citizens and people from different parts of Punjab.Thanking the participants for turning up in large numbers, Lalpura said, “The response showed that the people of Punjab wanted to see a healthy, vibrant and drug-free Punjab. The event was not merely a political programme but an initiative for Punjab and its people.”The youth wing will organise similar marathon events under its ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh,’ campaign in other parts of Punjab, including Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda and Ludhiana, so that the message of fitness, sports and a drug-free Punjab can reach every corner of the state, Lalpura further said.Highlighting the AAP government’s focus on sports, AAP MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said, “The state’s sports budget has increased from around Rs 150 crore when I took charge of the sports department to approximately Rs 1,800 crore now.”This major increase reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that Punjab’s youth have greater opportunities to participate in sports, he said.Urging the participants to make fitness a regular part of their lives, Hayer said Do not treat the marathon as a one-day activity.
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Make walking, running and exercise a regular part of your daily lives. A healthy society is essential for building a stronger Punjab and a healthier India, said the Sangrur MP.Anandpur Sahib Malvinder Singh Kang said fitness and physical activity should become an integral part of everyone’s life.“Initiatives that bring young people towards sports and healthy living are particularly important in building a strong and drug-free Punjab,” he said.
