“Kashmiri civil society, Beerwah organizes inaugural cricket match of a cricket tournament to honor Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani”
Beerwah (District Budgam) J&K , October 30, 2024: The civil society of Beerwah in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district organized an inaugural cricket match of the local cricket tournament named to honor the memory and martyrdom of Kashmir’s iconic historical figure –
Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani. The inaugural match of the said tournament, officially named as “Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani Cricket Tournament” kicked off today at Beerwah, bringing together local cricket enthusiasts and civil society members of Beerwah to pay tribute to the bravery and legacy of Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani.
The inaugural match saw NCC Najan Beerwah emerge victorious against ACC Attina Beerwah, with Fayaz Ahmad Mir being declared as the “Man of the Match” for his impressive 45 runs. The cricket tournament aims to introduce Kashmir’s iconic historical figures to the younger generation of Kashmiri men and women like Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani along with promoting sportsmanship, teamwork, and community engagement among Kashmiri youth.
Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani was a young political party worker who played a pivotal role in the defeat of Pakistan backed Pashtun tribal raiders in October 1947. These Pakistani Pashtun tribal raiders were sent by Pakistan to illegally capture Kashmir Valley. Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani deliberately mislead Pashtun tribal raiders which delayed their advance towards Srinagar, allowing Indian Army to land its soldiers at Srinagar airport and push back the Pakistan supported Pashtun tribal raiders.
Prominent attendees of the Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani inaugural cricket match included, social activist Tariq Bhat, BAR Association Beerwah member, Advocate Tariq, senior citizen and prominent civil society member Mohammad Ashraf Wani, and famous Cricketer from Beerwah Asif Hussain Malik.
Noted Human Rights Activist Javed Beigh who, represented India at Geneva, Switzerland based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and who also hails from Beerwah delivered keynote address, highlighted Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani’s contributions to defeat of Pakistani Pashtun tribal raiders in 1947 as well as emphasized the importance of sports in fostering unity and discipline among Kashmir’s youth. Javed Beigh urged the Kashmiri youth to draw inspiration from Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani’s bravery and strive for excellence in various fields, especially sports. He stressed the need for quality sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and requested the Hon’ble Chief Minister and Lieutenant Governor, Jammu and Kashmir to upgrade sports facilities to national and international standards.
Beerwah’s social activist Tariq Bhat also paid tribute to Shaheed Mohammad Maqbool Sherwani’s bravery and martyrdom during the event. Bhat commended Javed Beigh’s efforts in promoting youth engagement in sports, emphasizing that active participation can effectively combat the drug menace. He noted that sports activities can keep the Kashmiri youth away from drugs and encourage them to become productive members of society.
Javed Beigh expressed his gratitude to the gathered Kashmiri youth for honoring Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani’s bravery during the inaugural cricket match which follows recent historic commemoration event organized by the Kashmiri civil society for the first time in more than 7 decades at Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani Community Hall in Baramullah on October 27 of this month. This day was observed as Youm-e-Shahadat across Kashmir Valley, in the memory of the martyrdom of Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani.
On this occassion the winning captain of NCC Najan Beerwah thanked Javed Beigh for gifting cricket kits and acknowledged the presence of civil society members. He encouraged the Kashmiri youth to participate in sports, emphasizing its role in maintaining a drug-free society.
Javed Beigh also gifted cricket kits to both teams, emphasizing the role of sports in combating drug abuse and promoting positive community engagement. He also emphasized that the cricket tournament highlighted the importance of community engagement and youth empowerment in promoting positive values, while promoting Shaheed Maqbool Sherwani’s legacy and inspiring future generations of Kashmiri youth.
