Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Saturday said that the strong socio-economic growth in Jammu and Kashmir was succeeding in bringing a qualitative change in the sports sector and enabling the sportspersons to demonstrate their excellence.
An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that highlighting the sporting events organised under the ‘My Youth My Pride’ in 22 disciplines in Kashmir division and 18 disciplines in Jammu division, the LG said, “The two biggest challenges for us were piecemeal approach towards sports activities before 2019 and subsequent disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”
He said that the J&K had regained confidence and the government was creating an equitable and inclusive sports and recreation culture with modern infrastructure and training which was comparable to the best in the country.
The LG said that the ‘My Youth My Pride’ programme was turning out to be a solid forum for sportspersons to bring glory to themselves as well as the community.
“‘My Youth My Pride’ is dedicated to advancing sports by empowering young men and women. It has inculcated a winner’s instinct among youth and kindled hopes of an ascent in a sporting performance in national and international games. J&K Sports Council has completed many key infrastructure projects which are playing an essential role in training the youth in different sports. Our sportspersons are setting an example by continued pursuit of excellence in various disciplines, high levels of sporting ethics in games, and the larger vision of making J&K a land of champions,” he said.
Lauding the efforts of the sports associations and J&K Sports Council for regular engagement of athletes and reviving the culture of night football matches in various districts, the LG said, “We are proud of the fact that thousands of athletes, coaches, and sports officials around J&K are making valuable contributions and ensuring path-breaking achievements. Gymnastic Academy, Football Academy, Cricket Academy, and Water Sports Centre have a plan to engage around 5 lakh youth and children. This gives us hope and confidence that by creating the right environment for the young generation, we can produce the best talents and win prestigious sporting honours. Today our athletes can dream big and fulfill their dreams and ambitions.”
He said that with the focus on talent search and training and the creation of sports academies for achieving excellence, J&K Sports Council was attracting the best and brightest talents.
The LG said that with the help of veteran sportspersons, schools, and coaches, the J&K Sports Council was working to ensure the young generation gets to play a variety of sports and everyone has the opportunity to develop a strong skill-set.
“We should all make concerted efforts to motivate youth to put their best efforts in games so that J&K benefits through a vigorous and dynamic sporting talent pool and sportspersons can become crucial partners in the development journey,” he said. “During Phase-I of the ‘My Youth My Pride’ more than 8.5 lakh youth from across J&K had participated while 13.74 lakh youth to be engaged in Phase-II.”