J-K taps its sports potential: Valley in Momentum

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], March 31 : Jammu and Kashmir is fast realizing the immense potential of their people in sports with the introduction of sports facilities, coaching and local competitions.
The sports industry is now globally recognized for generating revenue and employment opportunities for on and off-field activities, like sports analytics, stakeholders of leagues and clubs, fitness experts, event managers, sports broadcasters, sports journalists, video referees, etc. The UT is actively setting up sports bodies and many allied sectors are contributing to sports promotion.
The UT government is granting myriad opportunities for graduate and post-graduate sports professionals; they can apply for the positions of coaches, trainers, event managers, PR officers, personal instructors, yoga teachers, sports marketing consultants, among other professions. Local certifications, diplomas, and undergraduate courses are slowly being introduced in government institutions at UT.
Under the Khelo India banner, the government is relentlessly building sports infrastructure and youth clubs and employing expert sports professionals to scout talented individuals at an early age. These initiatives will kick start their careers on time and nurture their potential better.
The UT government has introduced gazetted and non-gazetted recruitment categories for exceptional sports players and reservations for these individuals in government jobs. The concerned government departments are instructed to maintain a suitable environment and facilities for sportspersons to continue their journey through the national and international championships.
Sports are gaining tremendous momentum in UT and the turnout of participants has far exceeded the expectations in the last few months.
After a long holiday of three years, DPS Srinagar organized a cross country run from Naseem Bagh to Nishat Bagh for its middle-school students on March 20. More than 400 children participated and three top three boys and girls were given prizes.
Six specially-abled youth from Kashmir were part of a two-week rigorous skiing training (March 12 - 26) at High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), Gulmarg. The Chinar Corps took upon this challenge proving that a sport as exhilarating and physically demanding as skiing can be enjoyed and played by all regardless of their prior abilities, given the right training and direction. Artificial limbs and other special accessories were provided by an NGO from Jaipur. The participants will continue their journey exploring the sport and perhaps one day represent India in the Paralympics.
Recently the top Kashmir footballer Danish Farooq made his international debut for India against Bahrain in a friendly match. More than 30 footballers from J&K have represented India internationally. He is a part of Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League, and an employee of J&K Bank who has assisted and groomed his talent in their football academy.
The third edition of the Inter-College Badminton Rolling Trophy Championship (Women) was organized by Government College for Women, Srinagar, which concluded on March 20. 16 teams from various colleges participated in the prestigious trophy.
Badminton has a special place in the hearts of the Valley dwellers and the youth is highly competitive in this sport. The Vice-Chancellor of a participating university demanded the formation of a separate sports department in all universities across the Valley seeing the grand turnout of participants and spectators.
The sixth edition of the SnowShoe Championship was held in Gulmarg on March 18 where teams from all corners of the country took part. 100 athletes representing 11 states arrived at Gulmarg for the two-day event, the Long Distance and Sprint competitions for both male and female categories and senior and junior sub-divisions. Uttarakhand bagged the overall championship and J&K won the maximum number of medals.
The event was organized by J&K SnowShoe Association in collaboration with the Directorate of Tourism Kashmir and SnowShoe Federation of India. The UT government is very keen to bring on board all national sports federations and Tourism Department to simultaneously promote J&K's Sports Tourism and acquaint the rest of the country with J&K.
Kashmir University conducted a snow skiing course for the female students of the University and its affiliated colleges at Gulmarg from March 7th to 19th. It was organized by the varsity's Directorate of Physical Education and Sports. The Department of Youth Services and Sports imparted training to the students and the Tourism Department arranged for the logistics. The DYSS also organized a Sqay Championship for girls and boys for U-17 and U-19 categories at a district level on March 18th.
The Kashmir University also offered an all-boys contingent a course in skiing at Gulmarg. 20 students were a part of the program organised by the university's Directorate of Physical Education and Sports (DPES) which imparted training for Basic, Intermediate and Advanced levels of snow skiing. The meritorious students were awarded prizes to expand their interest in the sport. Snowsports have taken off to great heights in the last two years in the valley.
The J&K Police is also doing its bit in the promotion of the sport to dissuade youth from joining militant activities that have been operating in the undercurrents of the Valley in the last three decades. J&K Police Martyrs Memorial Football Tournament for this year was organised by Jammu and Kashmir Police under its Civic Action Programme and in collaboration with J&K Football Association at Synthetic Turf Ground TRC Srinagar. Major cash awards were distributed.
The third edition of Shaheed Aman Memorial T20 Cricket Tournament at Chowgan Sports Ground in Kishtwar was also organized by the Director-General of Police J&K. Through these initiatives JK Police celebrates brotherhood and pays tribute to martyrs. These mega-events honour the policemen who have lost their lives serving in the erstwhile tumultuous Valley.
The Army isn't far behind in these initiatives. The Indian Army's 20 RR under Chinar Corps organized a Shikara Race on 24th March at Makai Park. The shikaras covered a distance between Makai Park and Char Chinar. The participants' age ranged from 25 to 65, which further added to the enthusiasm of the event. As many as 75 shikaras participated and besides the top three winners, the oldest participant was given a special prize for setting an example for the youth.
The Ganderbal Judo Championship took place in the Ganderbal district where 250 students from various schools and clubs participated on 26th March.
Volleyball is another new interest of the Valley's youth, especially given the climactic conditions in the spring months of the region. The DYSS inaugurated the inter-district under-19 Volleyball tournament for boys and girls at Rajouri on 15th March. Teams from all 20 districts participated in the Valley's new fever.
For the nature lovers, The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Jammu and Kashmir, has inaugurated a trek route in biodiversity-rich Gossain Nad Forest. It is a 4 km trek concluding at Wustervan point which allows a panoramic view of the Kashmir valley.
New trek routes are being identified in J&K and out of 75 identified trek routes, 60 are open to the public. The sports appetite of UT is at its all-time high and given the right infrastructure and motivation J&KUT is sure to surprise the world.