Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Wednesday said that the government had transformed Jammu and Kashmir’s sports ecosystem.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that felicitating and interacting with players participating in 84th National and Inter State Table Tennis Championship at Gymnasium Hall, University of Jammu (JU), the LG expressed immense pride in the accomplishments of sportspersons at national and international arena.
We truly admire the outstanding skills, courage, sacrifice, and dedication of our sportspersons and are committed to put the needs of the players first,” he said.
The LG said that big change always starts with a small step, a lesson that is learnt from sports.
“The energy of players, glory earned on the field is giving new impetus to development and our sportspersons are playing a major role in social transformation and social integration,” he said.
“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K is realising its true potential in sports. New sporting icons are emerging in every discipline, all the barriers have been removed and youngsters from small towns and villages are achieving their dreams,” he said. “We have been successful in providing state of the art infrastructure, facilities, coaching, and opportunities to the young sportspersons of J&K to prove their mettle.”
The LG asked the young table tennis players to take inspiration from the likes of Sharath Kamal, Mouma Das, and Manika Batra and bring laurels to the country in international championships.
“Don’t stop when you are tired. Stop when you are done. I call upon all the players to compete with the spirit of sportsmanship. Your aim should give new enthusiasm, new identity to the youth, and hope to the society and the nation,” he said.
The LG said that the presence of Arjuna awardees, Khel Ratna, and Dronacharya awardees would surely raise the morale and confidence of the other players participating in the championship.
Advisor to Lt Governor Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar and Secretary Youth Services and Sports Sarmad Hafeez also spoke on the occasion and enumerated the sports facilities and infrastructure developed in the last two years in J&K.
Around 900 players from across the country are participating in the championship.
Vice Chancellor (VC) JU, Prof Umesh Rai, ADGP Jammu Mukesh Singh, and Secretary J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gul were also present on the occasion.