Episode Details

Punjab Lion Club Adelaide's Road to the 38th Australian Sikh Games Melbourne 2026

Podcast: The Talk Show | Host: Preetinder Grewal | Guest: Rajwant Singh, Punjab Lion Club Adelaide
Show: Radio Haanji 1674 AM — Melbourne, Australia
Event: 38th Australian Sikh Games | 3–5 April 2026 | Parkville, Melbourne

Every year, as the Australian Sikh Games draw near, something shifts in Punjabi communities right across the country. Training sessions run longer. WhatsApp groups get busier. Kits get ordered, travel plans get made, and a quiet but unmistakable sense of pride begins to build.

This year, with the 38th Australian Sikh Games coming to Melbourne from 3 to 5 April 2026, that energy is at an all-time high — and one of the clubs feeling it most is the Punjab Lion Club Adelaide.

Radio Haanji host Preetinder Grewal sat down with Rajwant Singh, a senior representative of the club, for an in-depth conversation covering the club's origins, their preparation for Melbourne, and the spirit that drives them to compete year after year.

Who Are the Punjab Lion Club Adelaide?

The Punjab Lion Club Adelaide is one of South Australia's most recognised Punjabi sporting clubs. While they were officially registered as an incorporated body around 2016, their members had already been deeply embedded in the Adelaide Punjabi sports community for years before that.

The club was founded with a clear and simple purpose — to bring the Punjabi community in Adelaide together through sport and culture. What began as a group of passionate players turning up to train on weekends has grown into a well-organised, multi-sport club that proudly represents South Australia at the national stage every year.

As Rajwant Singh explained to Preetinder Grewal, the club's identity has always been about more than just winning. It is about building a community — giving Punjabi youth in Adelaide a home, a discipline, and a sense of belonging.

Preparing for Melbourne — Inside the Club's Build-Up

With the Sikh Games just weeks away, the Punjab Lion Club Adelaide is deep in preparation mode. Rajwant Singh gave Radio Haanji listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what that preparation actually looks like.

Training Around Real Life

One of the most impressive aspects of the club's preparation is how it is carried out alongside the everyday commitments of its players. Most squad members are working full-time, running businesses, or balancing family responsibilities. Despite this, Rajwant Singh describes training sessions being held in the evenings and on weekends— structured, consistent and taken seriously.

This is not a casual sporting club. The players making the trip to Melbourne have put in genuine work to be ready.

A Strong Contingent Heading to Melbourne

The Punjab Lion Club Adelaide is sending a strong and competitive team to the 38th Games. They will be competing across multiple disciplines:

• Kabaddi — the club's flagship sport and a major competitive focus
• Volleyball — with teams entered across different divisions
• Athletics — with individual members competing in track and field events
• Tug-of-War — a team event that requires both strength and coordination

The Kabaddi team, in particular, is one the club takes great pride in. Rajwant Singh made clear that Kabaddi is at the heart of the club's sporting identity — and Melbourne will see them at their competitive best.

Community Support Makes It Possible

Rajwant Singh was candid about the role that community support plays in making participation possible. Like most clubs at the Australian Sikh Games, Punjab Lion Club Adelaide relies on local sponsors and donations from the Adelaide Punjabi community to cover the costs of equipment, playing kits, and the travel and accommodation expenses that come with representing your state interstate.

This financial support is not taken for granted. It i