Punjab will host an international hockey championship later this year, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said on Thursday, attributing the development to the state government’s push to promote sports among youth.Addressing public meetings in several border villages of the Ajnala constituency, Dhaliwal said the championship would be held in Mohali from the last week of October to the first week of November. He claimed that Punjab was witnessing a “sports revolution” aimed at steering youth away from drugs and towards constructive activities.The state has also been selected to host the U-13 National Badminton Championship in Jalandhar in December, he added. Dhaliwal said Punjab had allocated Rs 1,791 crore for sports in the current financial year, claiming it to be the highest among all states. He added that work had been initiated to construct 3,100 sports stadiums across villages, with plans to expand the initiative to 6,000 more villages. He further said that 3,000 gyms were being equipped with modern facilities and that 17,000 sports kits had been distributed to players.Taking a dig at the Centre, Dhaliwal alleged that hockey was not receiving due recognition, stating that legendary player Major Dhyan Chand was yet to be conferred the Bharat Ratna despite his contributions to the sport.