The government of India is trying to make J&K a sports destination by creating world-class infrastructure and introducing a new sports
policy for j&k.
The National Sports Day is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. The University of Kashmir (KU) Tuesday organised a series of activities to celebrate the National Sports Day here. Directorate of Physical Education and Sports (DPES), KU had made special arrangements in organising the activities. Highlighting the importance of celebrating the day, the Registrar University of Kashmir, Dr Nisar Ahmed Mir underscored the need to sensitise the youth about health and wellbeing. “We need to sensitise our youth about the importance of the day and encourage them to take active part in co-curricular activities especially sports and fitness for their all-round development,” he said. He appreciated the efforts of the DPES for organising the events in line with the ongoing celebrations of National Sports Day.
Games and sports are an integral part of our life. It plays an essential role in the development of the human resources of a nation. The energy and potential of youth could be channelised for productive and meaningful purposes through games and sports. Jammu and Kashmir has prioritised the promotion of games and sports among the youth. The aim is to use sports to transform the youth into a self-confident, organised, and competent workforce, which could bring social changes and economic development to the region.
Talent is available far and wide, but what is required is identifying such talent at the right time and providing the necessary support system to hone their capabilities. To energise and channelise the energy of youth, the government of J&K took out a new sports policy on 3 February 2022. Through this policy, the government envisioned creating a desired eco-system enabling youth to scale new heights. Since the onset of cross-border in late 1988, the youth and sports of J&K have been affected very badly.
Youth can make a significant and positive contribution toward the efforts of maintaining and promoting peace and security. The youth could play a crucial role in preventing and resolving the problem of terrorism and act as a vital aspect of sustainability and inclusiveness. This could lead to successful peacekeeping efforts and peace-building measures in the region. It is also the sole duty of governments and administrative authorities to identify, drive and direct priorities, strategies and activities for restoring peace and security by ensuring youth’s inclusiveness without discrimination.
The government of J&K has initiated several steps in ensuring at least one playfield in every Panchayat, the establishment of over 4500 Youth Clubs and organising several sports activities to empower the youth of the J&K. It is heartening to note that despite constraints due to the COVID-19 pandemic, about 17 Lac persons participated in different sports and games activities.
To engage the youth of Kashmir Valley in numerous sports events, the Indian Army launched the fifth session of the Kashmir Premier League. More than 3200 young people took part in this Kashmir Premier League. About 200 teams from all over the valley participated. Ten out of 200 teams in the first knock-out were nominated for the final of Kashmir Premier League 2022. The critical factor of launching the Kashmir Premier League was to make available a platform for youth to take up sports as their career, shun terrorism, and save youth from drugs and other immoralities.
The government of India is trying to make J&K a sports destination by creating world-class infrastructure and introducing a new sports policy for the Union Territory. As per Jammu and Kashmir sports council, around 500 athletes have won medals in numerous games at the national level. There has been a colossal revolution in sports infrastructure all over Jammu and Kashmir. Various new stadiums of the international standard have been created, while many others are being built up in various districts of the Union Territory. The Sports Council of Jammu and Kashmir has motivated young people to take sports as a career.
Jammu and Kashmir has enough talent and needs proper direction and a platform to advance in life’s journey. Today sports in J&K are taking a new stride and making a new curve on the peace, security and development graph. The youth and children choose sports as a tool to rise in life and achieve great success.
No longer are the days of stone pelting, shutdowns, and hartal calendars. Youth have realized reality and are no longer interested in subversive activities. Youth understand very well how political parties and terrorists have used them, on a journey towards a never-ending tunnel of darkness with no future at all. The scenario has changed now. Different schemes, 17 to be precise, are being pushed to make youth self-reliant in every aspect. More than six lakh young entrepreneurs have emerged in the last few years, a landmark achievement that has changed the lives of Jammu and Kashmir youth. From time to time, different tournaments are organized to let them participate, test their skills, encourage them, and mentor their exceptional talents. Facilities have been created specifically for individuals, and this is a boon for many potential medal prospects at the national level because otherwise, they would have to travel to Delhi or other places for routine practices. As a result of the encouragement of players on national days, the special recruitment campaigns targeted at them, and the help offered at every level, players have become more confident and have gone on to pursue sports as a career. The menace of drugs has already gripped Jammu and Kashmir, and these sports activities are time-tested deterrents against drug abuse.
There is always scope for improvement, and better management of sports infrastructure will be much appreciated. There are numerous complaints about sports infrastructure not being available to budding players due to various reasons. Non-functional generator sets at sports facilities are another matter highlighted in multiple districts that must be taken care of. We have very few grounds, especially in major cities; as such, any public event on these grounds must be avoided, and the creation of more open playing grounds must be explored as per the master plans of the respective cities. Cricket stadiums must be utilized, and efforts should be made to hoist at least IPL matches.
On this day Coordinator DPES, Dr Nadeem Ahmad Dar said the varsity is committed to developing the sports infrastructure at all levels. “All the plans are in place and the aspiring athletes will get world-class training and opportunities to display their talent,” he said. In the week-long celebrations, two matches of the ongoing inter-department hockey tournament were played at the main campus.
In the first match, Department of Computer Sciences defeated the Department of Law 1-0. While, in the second match, Department of Economics defeated the Department of Management Studies 3-1.
In the inter-department volleyball tournament, the varsity’s North Campus beat the Department of Geography and Disaster Management in the first semi-final. In the second semi-final, Department of Physical Education defeated the varsity’s South Campus.
In the women’s category, the Department of Physical Education reached the finals and will lock horns with the winners of the second semi-final that will be played Wednesday (today) between Department of Persian and Department of Statistics.
