From the football field to the helm of Punjab Police Sports administration—Gurmeet Kaur makes history
Sukhminder Bhangoo
Jalandhar (Punjab), September 23, 2026: A new chapter has been added to the sports administration of the Punjab Police. Gurmeet Kaur, a Punjab Police officer and former international footballer who represented India, has assumed the additional charge of Sports Secretary, Punjab Police, at the Central Sports Office at PAP Headquarters, Jalandhar.
She assumed charge on 3 September 2026 and has become the first woman police officer to hold the post of Sports Secretary, Punjab Police, marking a significant milestone in the force’s sports administration.
From Buttarhi Village to International Football
Gurmeet Kaur hails from Buttarhi village in Ludhiana district. She began playing football during her school years at Lyallpur Khalsa School and later continued her studies at HMV College in Jalandhar, where she developed her football career further.
She excelled at the National School Games and later competed in national inter-university tournaments. She also led the Punjab team as captain in national competitions on several occasions.
Representing India on the International Stage
International competition became an important chapter of Gurmeet Kaur’s sporting career. A 2024 profile reported that she travelled to Germany in 1997 for a football tournament and represented India in international competitions, including Asian-level championships.
Joining the Punjab Police in 2001
After her sporting career, Gurmeet Kaur joined the Punjab Police as an Inspector through the sports quota in 2001. Over the years, she served in several important policing and administrative assignments.
Her reported responsibilities have included serving as an SHO, in-charge of a Narcotics Cell, DSP, ACP Crime in Ludhiana and other supervisory positions. She has also stated that she became the first woman SHO in Ludhiana city during 2002–03, when she was posted at Division No. 2 Police Station.
In 2024, she served as ADCP Headquarters in the Ludhiana Police Commissionerate.
Commandant of the 27th Battalion PAP
In August 2026, Gurmeet Kaur was posted as Commandant of the 27th Battalion, PAP, Jalandhar, after serving as SP PBI, Kapurthala. The official posting information available publicly records this as a new posting.
Her appointment as Sports Secretary, in addition to her command responsibility, brings together two distinctive parts of her career—elite sport and police administration.
A New Responsibility for Punjab Police Sports
As Sports Secretary, Gurmeet Kaur now has an important administrative role in matters concerning Punjab Police sportspersons, training, coaching, sporting infrastructure and competitive opportunities.
Her experience as a former international footballer gives her direct familiarity with the demands faced by athletes. Her new assignment also provides an opportunity to strengthen support systems for women sportspersons within the police force.
Honours and Recognition
Gurmeet Kaur has received the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, the Kiran Bedi Award and the Rani Jhansi Award for her service and contributions to society.
Her journey demonstrates how sporting experience can contribute to leadership beyond the playing field. Discipline, teamwork, resilience and leadership developed through sport can become valuable qualities in public service as well.
A New Chapter
From a footballer from Buttarhi village to an international representative of India, from joining the Punjab Police as a sports-quota recruit to holding senior policing responsibilities, and now becoming the first woman Sports Secretary of the Punjab Police, Gurmeet Kaur’s career represents a distinctive intersection of sport and public service.
Her new assignment at PAP Headquarters, Jalandhar places her in a position where her experience as an athlete and police officer can inform the future administration and development of Punjab Police sports.