Ludhiana: Despite being announced in April 2026, a revised nutrition diet scheme increasing daily allowances for athletes at the Punjab Institute of Sports (PIS) in Ludhiana has failed to take effect. Around 160 to 170 registered athletes across disciplines like volleyball, athletics, and basketball remain on the older daily diet allowance of approximately Rs 250 instead of the promised Rs 450 per head.Under the current scheme, athletes receive three daily meals and healthy snacks comprising eggs, vegetables, almonds, milk, salad, and other protein-rich foods. The approved revision to Rs 450 per day was designed to customise dietary intake according to the specific nutritional and discipline-based requirements of each sport.Sports department officials attributed the delay to pending official procedures and ongoing tender processes. District sports officer (DSO) Mandeep Kaushal said, “The tender process for the increased diet cost and other official procedures are still underway, which is the reason, the revised diet plan and cost for the athletes has not changed.” He added, “The officials are working on this and hopefully it will be implemented soon, so that the athletes can get better nutritional diet and other benefits.”Departmental sources indicated that unpaid bills and clearance backlogs owed to contractors and investors for past sports events may also be contributing to the delay.Local sports coaches emphasised the urgent need to fast-track implementation to optimise athletic performance. A local sports coach said, “The diet which the athletes are receiving currently is good but different sports disciplines require different amounts of nutritions including protein, carbs and fiber. However only training hard can never help that much if the athlete is not receiving better diet. This should be done as early as possible for the betterment of players.”
