Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla (Congress) has urged Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to immediately fill a backlog of 358 vacant Sports Quota posts in the Punjab Police and ensure the 3% sports quota is applied in all upcoming recruitments.In an X post on August 1, 2026, Aujla stated: “Punjab has always been the pride of Indian sports, but today 358 Sports Quota posts in Punjab Police remain vacant, while our talented athletes wait for opportunities. The historic PAP Sports Complex, once the cradle of champions, is also losing its glory.” He tagged Mann, Punjab Police officials, the state government, and media outlets, emphasising that sportspersons “deserve jobs, dignity and support, not neglect.”
This call aligns with longer-standing concerns. A January 2026 Tribune report noted that Punjab Police, traditionally one of the state’s largest employers of sportspersons under a 3% reservation, has not hired a single sportsperson under the quota since 2017. Sources indicated that the Punjab Armed Police (PAP), which oversees sports activities, has repeatedly flagged the shortage of sportsmen to the personnel wing without results. Other departments, such as Punjab State Power Corporation Limited, have also largely discontinued such recruitments.
Coaches and observers have warned that the lack of government jobs pushes talented athletes to other states or leaves them vulnerable to social problems. In February 2024, the Punjab government did appoint 11 elite players (including Olympic hockey medalists and cricketer Harmanpreet Kaur) to PCS/PPS posts, but this was a special policy decision outside the regular 3% quota.
Recent Punjab Police constable recruitment advertisements have explicitly excluded sports quota vacancies, stating they “shall be filled separately.” Aujla’s post specifically references the PAP Sports Complex’s declining status alongside the vacancies.
The issue reflects broader challenges for sportspersons seeking stable government employment in Punjab, even as the state government has pursued other sports infrastructure initiatives, such as large-scale rural sports grounds and stadiums. No immediate official response from the Punjab government or police to Aujla’s specific demand was noted in available reports at the time of the post.