Mubashir Alam Wani
Srinagar, Jan 16 : The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council (JKSC) on Thursday said it has achieved a record-breaking milestone in 2024-25, with over 27 lakh youth participating in diverse sporting activities across the region.
An official of the JKSC speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said the sports council celebrated the participation of athletes from diverse sporting categories at levels ranging from district to international. He said the council is committed to grassroots sports development and the promotion of inclusive events.
Among the international accolades, the official highlighted the achievements of para-athletes Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, who won bronze medals in Para Archery at the 17th Summer Paralympics held in Paris.
He said that youth participation in sports has grown across J&K over the past two years. In the current financial year, under initiatives such as “My Youth, My Pride,” “Har Din Khel Har Ek ke Liye Khel,” “Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan,” “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav,” “Jan Abhiyan,” and “Calendar of Sports Associations,” along with regular coaching programs, 27.10 lakh youth have participated in sports events organized at Panchayat, Block, District, UT, and national levels up to December 2024, he said.
*Key achievements in 2024-25*
One of the council’s standout achievements was hosting the Legends League Cricket tournament, the official said. The event took place at Cricket Ground, M.A. Stadium in Jammu and Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar from October 3-6 and October 9-16, 2024. The tournament featured six teams comprising over 110 players, including world-renowned cricket legends like Chris Gayle, Martin Guptill, and the Pathan brothers.
The J&K Senior Football team reached the quarterfinals of the 38th National Games in the Santosh Trophy. The men’s team also participated in the 78th National Football Championship (North Zone) in Amritsar in October 2024, where they remained unbeaten in the group stage, defeating Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh.
The last edition of the Khelo India Winter Games, held in Gulmarg, witnessed participation from 800 athletes representing 20 states and Union Territories.
In 2024-25, JKSC organised six national-level and one international-level competition across six sports disciplines: Cricket (Legends League), Tennis-ball Cricket, Badminton, Pencak Silat, Softball, and Tenni-Koit.
The 36th Sub-Junior National Tenni-Koit Championship 2024 was held at Green Play Field, Gandhi Nagar, Jammu, from September 30 to October 4, 2024. The event included 21 teams from various states and UTs, with over 330 participants, including 16 athletes from J&K.
Two major Pencak Silat championships were held in Srinagar: The 2nd All India Pencak Silat Championship (November 19-21, 2024) and the 12th Pre-Teen, Sub-Junior, and Junior National Pencak Silat Championship (November 16-18, 2024).
The official said that these events recorded the combined participation of over 215 athletes.
“The J&K Sports Council is dedicated to promoting sports across the region, empowering youth from both rural and urban areas and creating a culture of sportsmanship and healthy competition,” he said, adding, “With such record-breaking participation and achievements, the council continues to pave the way for the development of sports in Jammu and Kashmir.”—(KNO)
