For a healthy society, its youth have to be physically fit which would make them mentally active and both combine to yield results in sports as a discipline. What brings in sports is multifactorial body response to overall personality development as skill gets shaped by concentration and endurance. The sportsmanship inculcates in us the spirit of taking it in stride the winning or losing factors.
In Jammu and Kashmir, there has been impetus in this spirit by involving sportsmen and women in every sphere of sports as evident from the first ever sports policy which has been notified and adopted for promotion of sports and sporting activity in the UT. The resources are being expanded to completely transform the sporting ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. This year, 221 state-of-the-art playfields will be built in all 20 districts and 157 sports courts will be constructed and upgraded. A Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall with world-class facilities will be constructed in almost all districts by the end of this financial year and a major project will come up in the form of Khel Gaon (Sports Village) at Nagrota.
Besides, infrastructure projects are underway in form of Archery Centre at Rajbagh Srinagar, Gymnastic Centre at Rajbagh Srinagar, Artificial Rock Climbing wall at MA Stadium, Jammu; Shooting Range at Bana Singh Stadium Jammu, Shooting Range at Srinagar, Athletic track under Khelo India Scheme in Baramulla, Athletic track at Mendhar, Poonch, Synthetic Volleyball centre at Poonch, Wrestling centre at RS Pura, Jammu. It’s a sports revolution being witnessed as infrastructure is helping budding players to scale heights across the sporting events and they are in return bringing back medals in almost all disciplines and glory to UT and for the country through their performances. Not only does medals bring name and fame but the administration envisages provision of monetary incentives and government jobs for those who secure medals in national and international competitions. The scheme of ‘Har Din Khel’ saw 17.5 lakh youth of UT being engaged in sports activities last year.
This year also, under a special program, efforts are being made to connect 7.5 lakh youth with different disciplines of sports, besides organizing national level competitions in at least 17 sports disciplines. There should be more focus on sports women so that they equally get a chance and opportunity to showcase their talent. The need of the hour since summer gets closer is to redouble efforts to quickly complete pending sports infrastructure projects across districts.
Courtesy : Brighter Kashmir