New Delhi

Punjab National Bank (PNB), India's leading public sector bank, today inaugurated its revamped Hockey Academy in Delhi, reaffirming its long-standing commitment to promoting hockey and nurturing sporting talent in the country, according to a release.

The new academy at Mukherjee Nagar was inaugurated by Shri Ashok Chandra, MD & CEO, PNB, along with senior officials of the bank, coaches and players of the senior Hockey team.

PNB's Hockey Academy is a state-of-the-art platform with premium infrastructure, dedicated to identifying, training, and nurturing 25 players (age 14-17) to help them build successful careers in hockey. The bank provides holistic support to these young athletes, including lodging, education, professional coaching, and other essential facilities to ensure their all-around development and a progressive career path through hockey.

Highlighting the success of the bank's commitment, PNB's two valued employees and key forward players of the Indian Hockey Team - Olympian and Arjuna Awardee duo Shri Abhishek and Shri Sukhjeet Singh recently made India proud at the Asia Cup 2025. Today, players such as Lovepreet Singh, Sanjay, and Inderpal Singh, who emerged from PNB's Hockey Academy, are proud members of PNB's Hockey Team.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India is actively preparing to bid for the 2036 Olympics, leveraging its experience hosting major international events such as the FIFA Under-17 World Cup and the Hockey World Cup.

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The country is also set to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will help develop sports infrastructure and showcase India's capabilities.

While virtually addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 72nd National Volleyball Championship held in Varanasi, PM Modi said, "You may have noticed that over the past decade, several cities have hosted more than 20 international events, including the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, the Hockey World Cup, and various chess tournaments. The 2030 Commonwealth Games are also scheduled to be held in India. India is now actively preparing to bid for the 2036 Olympics."