The 101st Punjab State Junior Athletics Championship 2026 officially commenced with great energy and enthusiasm at the iconic Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana. Running from August 16 to August 18, 2026, the prestigious three-day event brings together hundreds of elite young track and field athletes from across every district of Punjab, competing in the U-14, U-16, U-18, and U-20 (Boys & Girls) age groups.

Grand Inauguration & Key Dignitaries

The opening ceremony was inaugurated by the Senior Deputy Mayor of Ludhiana as the Chief Guest of Day 1, who officially declared the championship open. In his keynote address, he commended the athletes for their dedication and emphasized the vital role of sports in fostering youth development, discipline, and drug-free healthy living across the state.

The grand opening also witnessed the presence of notable sports icons and office-bearers of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA):

  • S. Sukhdev Singh Pannu – Dronacharya Awardee, Chief Coach, and PAA President
  • Sh. Prem Singh ji – Honorary General Secretary, PAA
  • Sh. Rampartap ji – Vice President, PAA & Senior Athletics Coach
  • Sh. Satvir S. Atwal (PPS) – President, PAA & Senior District Athletics Officials

Organizers emphasized that this landmark 101st edition serves as the official selection platform for Punjab’s state athletics squad, with top performers earning spots in upcoming national competitions, including the 21st National Youth Athletics Championships (Sept 1–3, 2026), the North Zone Junior Athletics Championships (Sept 14–16, 2026), and the 41st National Junior Athletics Championships (Oct 23–27, 2026).

Key Results & Highlights from Day 1

Day 1 delivered high-octane action on the track and field, with several standout athletes meeting or exceeding national qualification marks:

Under-20 (U-20) Division

  • GIRLS U-20 — 1500m Run: Diya Rana (Ropar) took gold with a time of 5:09.10, followed by Harbinder Kour (Barnala) and Mehakdeep Kaur (Ludhiana).
  • BOYS U-20 — 1500m Run: Karanvir Singh (Amritsar) secured 1st place in 4:11.96, ahead of Sudhakar Singh (Ludhiana) and Davinder Singh (Jalandhar).
  • GIRLS U-20 — 400m Run: Maya (Jalandhar) clinched gold with an impressive 56.81s (National Q: 58.50s), closely followed by Mehardeep Kaur (Patiala) at 57.77s, both securing national qualification.
  • GIRLS U-20 — Shot Put: Amanat Kamboj (Fazilka) dominated the event with a throw of 12.69m (National Q: 11.00m), followed by Dikshita (Hoshiarpur) with 11.88m, both qualifying for nationals.
  • GIRLS U-20 — High Jump: Shukriya (Muktsar) secured 1st place clearing 1.38m, followed by Mamta (Bathinda).

Under-18 (U-18) Division

  • GIRLS U-18 — 400m Run: Sehnoor Bawa (Sangrur) put on a blistering display, winning gold in 54.53s (National Q: 1:03.00). Himanshi (Fazilka) and Tasneem Kaur Dhillon (Barnala) also secured national qualification spots.
  • GIRLS U-18 — Shot Put: Jasmine Kaur (Ropar) threw an exceptional 15.46m (National Q: 11.50m) to take gold, followed by Gurkanwal Kaur (Patiala) and Jannat (Fazilka).
  • GIRLS U-18 — Discus Throw: Komalpreet Kaur (Bathinda) captured 1st place with a stellar throw of 40.63m (National Q: 33.00m), closely trailed by Hushaindeep Kaur (40.39m) and Divjot Kaur (38.89m), both from Patiala.
  • GIRLS U-18 — High Jump: Gagandeep Kaur (Bathinda) claimed gold clearing 1.48m (National Q: 1.45m), followed by Japjot Kaur (SBS Nagar) at 1.46m and Tamanna Devi (Muktsar) at 1.41m.