Loading...
education
Punjab Lion Club Adelaide - Sikh Games 2026 Melbourne - Rajwant Singh - Preetinder Grewal
About this Episode
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-UpWith 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 LifeOne 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 MelbourneThe 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 PossibleRajwant 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 is a direct expression of the Adelaide community's pride in seeing their players represent them on the national stage.
The 38th Australian Sikh Games — What to Expect in MelbourneThe Australian Sikh Games are the premier sporting and cultural event for the Sikh and Punjabi community in Australia — and the 38th edition, returning to Melbourne for the first time in years, is shaping up to be the biggest yet.
Dates, Venue and FormatThe Games run across Easter weekend, 3–5 April 2026, with the main sporting venue being the State Netball and Hockey Centre at Parkville, close to Melbourne's CBD. The three-day format follows a structured competition schedule:
- Friday 3 April — Opening ceremony and league matches begin
- Saturday 4 April — Group stage and semi-final matches
- Sunday 5 April — Finals and closing ceremony
The numbers behind the Australian Sikh Games are extraordinary. The Games draw crowds of over 100,000 people over three days, during which more than 8,000 athletes and performers compete in 15 different sports and cultural activities, with approximately 120 not-for-profit sporting and cultural clubs actively taking part.
The 38th edition of the Australian Sikh Games will also feature the first-ever International Coaches Conference, bringing together coaches, sports organisers, and community leaders to explore ways to boost Punjabi representation in sport.
Sports on the ProgrammeThe 2026 Games feature a full programme of both traditional and modern sports. Sports include Hockey, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Kabaddi, Cricket, Netball, Touch Football, AFL Nines, Tug-of-War, Badminton, Tennis, Golf, Athletics, Powerlifting, and Sports for All Abilities — a new addition in 2026. Cultural events include Bhangra, Gidda, Gatka, and turban-tying.
Cultural Highlights — Bhangra, Gidda and Jashan Di RaatThe Sikh Games have always been as much about culture as they are about sport, and 2026 is no different.
The Bhangra and Gidda Competition runs over two evenings at the Clocktower Centre in Moonee Ponds on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April. Four hours of Punjabi dance, music and cultural performance each evening — one of the most anticipated events on Melbourne's Punjabi community calendar.
The Games close on Sunday evening with Jashan Di Raat — the gala cultural night — held at Crown Palladium, Level 1 Crown Towers, Southbank Victoria, beginning at 6:00 PM. Guests will enjoy a premium three-course meal, curated beverages, and spectacular performances in a beautifully styled setting.
Kaurs Rising — A New Chapter for Sikh WomenOne of the most exciting new additions at the Sikh Games Melbourne 2026 is Kaurs Rising — a dedicated women's initiative designed to provide a dedicated space for Sikh women of all ages to connect, be inspired and celebrate their Panjaban identity, ensuring women are not just participants on the sporting field but leaders in the community's conversation about its future.
Why the Sikh Games Matter — Rajwant Singh's MessageWhen Preetinder Grewal asked Rajwant Singh what the Australian Sikh Games truly mean to the Punjab Lion Club Adelaide, his answer was telling.
Winning, he said, is always the goal — every player goes in wanting to compete at their very best. But the deeper purpose has always been something else. The Games are an opportunity to build brotherhood, discipline and a healthy lifestyle among Punjabi youth in Australia. They are proof that the community has roots, pride, and the organisational strength to show up and compete on a national stage every single year.
For a club like Punjab Lion Club Adelaide — built by ordinary people who love sport and love their community — that is what the journey to Melbourne is really about.
Come Out and Support the Adelaide Lions in MelbourneRajwant Singh closed his conversation with Preetinder Grewal by extending a personal invitation to the entire Punjabi community — in Adelaide, Melbourne, and across Australia.
Come to the games. Watch the Kabaddi. Cheer for the volleyball teams. Show the players from every club that the community stands behind them.
Entry to the sporting grounds is generally free or very low cost for spectators, and Langar — the Sikh tradition of a free community kitchen — is available to everyone at no charge for all three days.
The 38th Australian Sikh Games is not just a sporting event. It is a celebration of who we are as a community — and Punjab Lion Club Adelaide will be there, representing South Australia with everything they have.
Listen to the Full Interview on Radio HaanjiHear the full conversation between Preetinder Grewal and Rajwant Singh — including more details about the club's history, training routine and what the Adelaide boys are aiming for in Melbourne.
Listen now at: haanji.com.au/podcast/the-talk-show
Other Radio Haanji Shows Worth ExploringIf you enjoy The Yash and Vishal Show, check out these other Radio Haanji programs:
The Deep Talk with Gautam Kapil: Explores history, science, and current events through a Punjabi lens
Sikh History: Ranjodh Singh presents stories from Sikh heritage and Punjab's past
Laughter Therapy: Daily comedy and entertainment featuring Punjabi humor
The Insight Report: Political and economic analysis with Gautam Kapil
Health Talk: Dr. Sandeep Bhagat discusses medical topics in Punjabi
Kitaab Kahani: Punjabi storytelling and literature
Each show contributes to Radio Haanji's mission of serving as Australia's most comprehensive Punjabi and Hindi community radio station, providing content that informs, entertains, and connects the Punjabi community Australia.
Listen free:
Radio Haanji 1674 AM is Austalia's Punjabi community radio station. Listen free at haanji.com.au | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iOS App | Android App Serving the Punjabi community in Australia, Canada, Singapore and world wide.
No transcript available for this episode.
