Srinagar, Aug 30 Pushing for youth empowerment and pride through sports, Inspector General (IG) Srinagar Sector CRPF, Pawan Kumar Sharma on Friday said that the CRPF Football Cup is aimed at providing young talents, especially U-23 players, with a platform to showcase their skills.
He said the youth can progress in their careers and potentially represent state and national teams, while also benefiting further as the prize money has been doubled in its second edition.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 2nd Edition CRPF Football Cup 2025 at the Synthetic Turf, TRC Srinagar, on the occasion of National Sports Day, IGP, Pawan Kumar Sharma, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said, “As you all know, August 29 is observed as National Sports Day across India. Under the Civic Action Programme, CRPF has been organising football and cricket tournaments every year in which teams from Srinagar, Ganderbal and Budgam participate.”
He added that this is a week-long tournament, with its inaugural match scheduled today, August 29, to coincide with National Sports Day. “The day is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, widely regarded as the greatest hockey player of all time, and has been observed nationally since 2012,” he said.
Highlighting the scale of the event, Sharma said that this year a total of 16 teams are participating, eight from Srinagar, four each from Budgam and Ganderbal.
“We want every player to compete in the true spirit of sportsmanship and play to the best of their ability so that this tournament becomes a grand success,” the IG CRPF said.
Referring to the venue, he said this is the second edition of the CRPF Football Cup, being held in the heart of Srinagar at an international standard synthetic football turf. “In this edition, we have provided a platform for U-23 players to showcase their skills. To encourage them further, the prize money has been doubled compared to the first edition. Our endeavour is to ensure that players benefit the maximum from this tournament.”
He also thanked the Secretary of J&K Sports Council for supporting the event, stating, “The objective of the CRPF Football Cup is to provide young talents with a platform to excel, progress in their sporting careers, and potentially represent state and national teams, thereby bringing laurels to the country.”
Notably, organised under the Civic Action Programme by Srinagar Sector CRPF in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council, the tournament aligns with the mission My Youth My Pride, focusing on empowerment and pride through youth participation
