Sports Council organizes Cyclothon event, distributes cycles

SRINAGAR : The J&K athletes have been hogging limelight for quite some time now due to their perseverance coupled with efforts administration has put in by keeping world class training facilities at their disposal.

In one more such case in point, Tazeem Fayaz a trainee of Sports Council’s Judo Academy in Srinagar has won a silver medal for her remarkable achievement at the Khelo India University games in Lucknow.

Praising the efforts and hard work of Tazeem, Secretary Sports Council Nuzhat Gull applauded her on achieving the feat and urged her to continue striving for excellence in the field of martial arts, while ensuring that she receives all the necessary support from the Sports Council, remarking that girls are second to none when it come to excelling in the field of their choice.

Adding one more feather in the cap of J&K athlete success stories, Nittin Sharma the member of J&K Sports Council has made it to the prestigious Premier Handball League. Nittin is the first Handball player from J&K to participate in the league-PHL, which features prominent stars of the game. Nittin will play for the Delhi Panzers in the inaugural edition of PHL that begins from 8th June in Jaipur.

Terming the achievement of Nittin as a moment of pride for not just him but also for the entire J&K, Secretary YSS Sarmad Hafeez has wished Nittin all the best for his performance in the league. In his message to the player, Sarmad Hafeez said that I am sure the Nittin will be the savior of his team, repelling the attack of its opponents and earn the name of best Handball goal keepers of the country.

Meanwhile, the Secretary Sports Council urged cricket buffs from South Kashmir to become part of the efforts being made by the Sports Council Cricket Academy in Bhijbehara, Anantnag. She said that the academy has been set up with the aim of identifying and nurturing young talent in the region.

Pertinently Parvez Rasool, who is an ace cricketer of the J&K teaches the budding cricketers the nuances of the game. Similar set up has been placed at TRC Cricket Academy ground and Bakshi Stadium where ace cricketer of yester years, Abid Nabi is involved in training young kids which includes a good number of female cricketers as well.

Many players from Sports Council Cricket Academy have gone on to represent J&K at various levels. The academy also helps in promoting cricket by organizing tournaments and providing exposure to young cricketers.

In the ongoing Indian Zonal Selection process for the Under 16 football team, which will represent India at the SAFF games in Bhutan, trails were conducted in Jammu and Srinagar, with the aim of identifying the young talent for the tournament.

The prospective players were put through rigorous tests to assess their physical fitness, technical skills, and game intelligence. While divulging the details, selectors said that the participants showcased their individual skills as well as collective teamwork during the trials. The Jammu division saw the participation of 35 young footballers, while Srinagar had almost 70 boys in attendance. The selection process is expected to be intense and challenging, as the selectors aim to pick the best young talent for the national team.

The J&K Sports Council initiatives to promote sports are in full bloom in Jammu division while Kashmir was battling inclement weather though indoor sports activities are being conducted regularly.

Celebrating the World Cycling Day, the FICCI FLO JKL, in collaboration with J&K Sports Council, organized a ‘Cyclothon 2023’ event in Jammu to promote the use of bicycles as a mode of transportation to reduce pollution and protect the environment. Over a hundred participants participated in the event sponsored by Hero Cycles. During the event, fifteen bicycles were also distributed to young girls from government schools, living in Amb, Bhalwal, and Gharota areas of Jammu outskirts, to help with their daily commute to school.

Speaking on the occasion, FICCI FLO JKL Chairperson Varuna Anand commented that cycling is an effective way to build a sustainable future by reducing air pollution and conserving energy, and promoting physical activity and improving overall health.

Among others present on the occasion also included Sports Officer Jammu, Ashok Singh Jamwal who gave a brief of Sports Council activities to the participants.

In the other activities in the Jammu division, Rollball championship was organized at Sports Stadium Kathua by Prabh Singh and Sameer Gupta. The duo are International Rollball players from J&K. More than 110 players participated in the event with a hoard of spectators present at the venue throughout the event.

Sports activities in other districts were in progress when the report was being filed.