In a major push to strengthen sports and fitness infrastructure in rural Punjab, the state sports department has operationalised village gyms at 32 locations across Ludhiana district, with work progressing swiftly at the remaining identified sites.New gym and other sports equipment at hall stadium, in Ludhiana on Monday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)The initiative forms part of an ambitious state-level programme aimed at establishing gym facilities at nearly 1,000 rural locations across Punjab. In Ludhiana alone, 72 villages have been identified for the project, and installations are advancing steadily, with fitness equipment arriving regularly and close to two gyms being set up each day.District sports officer (DSO) Kuldeep Chugh said the project was conceived to bridge the gap in access to quality fitness infrastructure in villages and encourage a stronger culture of physical fitness among rural youth. “Many villages already had residents actively engaged in fitness activities but lacked adequate infrastructure and modern equipment. The objective is to make quality fitness facilities accessible closer to people’s homes and promote healthier lifestyles in rural areas,” Chugh said.He added that the department began groundwork for the project nearly two months ago by seeking proposals from districts. Coaches and field officials subsequently conducted surveys to identify villages where there was a genuine demand for gym facilities and where suitable spaces were available for installation.Each gym is being equipped with a standard set of fitness equipment, including dumbbells, a squat stand, barbell weight set, dumbbell rack, incline and decline benches, bench press station, chin-up bar, gym flooring and a kettlebell set.According to officials, the number of gyms in Ludhiana could increase in the future depending on demand from villages and the availability of suitable infrastructure. The department believes the initiative will not only encourage regular exercise among residents but also create a stronger foundation for sports participation at the grassroots level.The villages where gyms have already become operational include Bhumadi, Kaudi, Ekolahi, Rajewal, Isdhu, Malikpur, Sahibpura, Kamma, Ekolaha, Rajgarh, Khudani Kalan, Landa, Ferurai, Shajnpur, Madpur, Gharkhana, Gagra, Ganduan, Majra Rahoun, Jatana, Kotla Samashpur, Heddon Dahan, Sangowal, Gahaur, Talwara, Manki, Gill, Jaspalo, Jand, Chaksaraye, Jhande and Mohanpur.Officials expect the programme to significantly boost fitness awareness in villages and provide young people with better opportunities to engage in physical training and sports activities without having to travel to urban centres.