SRINAGAR NOV.7, 2023 :
In a first of its kind, ELFA International in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir and supported by SIDBI Swavalamban Foundation, organised “Kashmir T20 Regional Knockout Cricket Tournament – 2023”. The final of the tournament was played today in which Ganderbal defeated Anantnag. The final ceremony of the tournament was held today at Amar Singh College, Srinagar. School children under the age of 18, drawn from the government/private schools of all 10 districts of the Kashmir region participated in this mega-tournament. Those present on the occasion of the final ceremony included Dr. Tasaduq Hussain Mir (JKAS), Director School Education, Kashmir; Mohammad Adil Ahsan, Branch Manager, SIDBI, Srinagar; Dr. Sheikh Ajaz Bashir, Principal, Amar Singh College, Srinagar; Mr. Hilal Ahmad Bhat (JKAS), Personnel Officer DSEK, Mr. Mehran Khan, CEO ELFA International, senior management from ELFA International & DSEK and other dignitaries.
The event culminated after a series of matches including teams from all the ten districts of the Kashmir region. The players participating in the tournament were drawn after a thorough screening and were given a class mentorship & coaching to scale up the nail-biting competition. Starting with the initial count of around 2000 students, 140 students constituting ten teams and representing each district of Kashmir participated in the tournament.
The event stands testimony to ELFA international’s commitment to sports for development & youth leadership and represents a milestone in the overall sports-scene of the valley in terms of its reach out and regional inclusion and integration. ELFA International is committed to the cause of sports for development & youth leadership and has been organising such events frequently to fight the menace of drug addiction & depression among youth and to promote in them the spirit of leadership & sportsmanship. The event is a part of the larger ideal whereby ELFA International aspires to project and present the local talent on national and international sports-scape. ELFA International has been organizing sports activities such as these and others to provide the youth with a healthy outlet for stress, improve their physical & mental wellbeing and promote a sense of teamwork & camaraderie. Such activities also help to build their self-confidence and provide opportunities for socialization. Needless to say that it is important to continue to focus on addressing the challenges faced by the youth of Jammu & Kashmir, as they represent the future of the region.
Dr. Tasaduq Hussain Mir (JKAS), Director School Education, Kashmir said that these occasions are becoming the need of the day both in view of growing social evils and to polish and showcase the talent embedded in Kashmiri youth. He applauded the efforts ELFA International has been making in this direction by involving youth across the length and the breadth of the UT and engaging them in sports activities of different kinds. The event concluded with a mega presentation ceremony, with mementos being distributed among all the participants & cash award of Rs. 75,000 & Rs. 40,000 given to the winning & runner-up teams. Man of the series and man of the match were given a cash prize of Rs. 10,000 & 5,000 respectively.
Pertinent to mention that ELFA International has been actively promoting sporting spirit among the youth and has contributed to this end enormously in terms of the number of events held and the growing number of youth included in these programs.
The program aims to prepare youth for the national level competition and aims at talent mapping & helping the emerging players to make their inroads to IPL & other premier national leagues. Mr. Mehran, CEO ELFA International reiterated ELFA International’s commitment to the cause of youth development & leadership through sports & other creative activities.
