The youths of Jammu and Kashmir have witnessed a remarkable transformation in sports in the last four years, resulting in showcasing their skills in many sports competitions at national and international levels.
There was a general perception in J-K that the youths were allegedly inclined towards stone-pelting and militancy, but during the last four years, the Government of India and the UT administration provided ample opportunity to the youths to showcase their talents in the sports field.
Due to these policies of the government, 5 cricketers got the opportunity to play in the IPL during the last four years, including Abdul Masad, Umran Malik, Voranth Sharma, Avinash Singh and Yudvir Singh.
Due to the policies of the government, Umran Malik has become the Indian cricket team’s fastest bowler who has left his mark at the international level.
The government has planned to provide the best sports infrastructure at the panchayat level. Now, for the last four years, sports activities are being organized throughout the year from village to UT level and infrastructure work is being done on a large scale.
Focus is not only on activities like cricket and football, but sports like volleyball, kho kho, kabaddi, water and winter sports are also being given equal importance which was neglected in the past.
The sports budget for Jammu and Kashmir is more than many of the largest states in the country and the infrastructure is being extended to the highest level.
Bakshi Stadium which was dilapidated due to poor policies of previous governments, was dedicated to the public after being upgraded and rebuilt at a cost of Rs 59 crores.
The Bakshi Stadium has been a focal point for the youth for decades, nurturing many dreams and making local players famous across the country.
“This stadium inspired the spirit of sports in the lives of millions of people and this legacy has been passed on to the new generation”, said LG, Manoj Sinha.
The Maulana Azad Stadium in Jammu is being developed as per ICC standards and the Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar as per FIFA standards.
Today the sports sector at UT is growing rapidly. World-class facilities and coaching are being provided to the youth at the grass root level to showcase their talent in various sports fields.
Authorities are redoubling their efforts to make Jammu and Kashmir the sports hub of the country.
This year, the Lt Governor inaugurated Rs 18.10 crore sports infrastructure projects and dedicated new sports facilities to the local youth, including Rs 5 crore artificial football turf at Sports Village Nagrota, Bhor Camp.
Construction of a mini stadium, chatta at a cost of Rs 1 crore and sports ground at Purmandal at a cost of Rs 2 crore is included. 5000 youths will benefit from the capacity of sports like cricket, volleyball, and kabaddi in the mini stadium of Bhore camp.
Funded under the Caps Budget, JKIDFC, Khelo India, and PMDP, the inauguration and groundbreaking of these projects marks the next phase of the modernization of sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
The J-K administration is working with a mission to take sports to the panchayat level and provide opportunities to the youth living in remote areas. With better training and modern infrastructure, the youths are now representing the country in international competitions.
Under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme, Rs 200 crores have been allocated for the project. Earlier the focus was on the twin cities of Srinagar and Jammu.
Every district is equipped with high-level indoor stadiums besides outdoor stadiums are coming up in every district and even block level, panchayat level.
The Jammu and Kashmir government wants to take a complete look at the sports infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir and provide all the facilities to the sportspersons so that they can develop their skills.
The administration is also working to prepare the youth of Jammu and Kashmir for major events like the Asian Games and Olympics, officials said.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir did not have the required infrastructure, training and coaches for major international competitions. The UT administration is targeting fields in which Olympic-level athletes can be produced.
