BIJBEHARA PREMIER LEAGUE—EDITION 5: Royal Goodwill wins Bijbehara Premier League in thrilling final

Bijbehara, Oct 23: Royal Goodwill clinched the fifth edition of the Bijbehara Premier League at Bijbehara Sports Stadium, Nilandrus, with a thrilling two-run victory over Jasif Memorial on Thursday, while MLA Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri and J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul pledged to upgrade the Bijbehara Sports Stadium to the standards of Srinagar’s Bakshi Stadium.

Batting first, Royal Goodwill Cricket Club posted 179 runs, while Team Jasif chased hard before finishing at 177, falling narrowly short in the final over.

Aaqib Mir of Royal Good Will was declared Man of the Match for his all-round display.

The winners received an Rs 6 lakh cash prize, while runners-up took home Rs 3 lakh. Muneeb Munaf of Elegant Strikers was adjudged Man of the Tournament and awarded a Yamaha bike. The Best Batsman, Best Bowler, and Emerging Player received Rs 25,000 each.

Notably, the tournament organised by the Bijbehara Cricket Association in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha.

As per the organisers, the two-month league featured 12 teams and 37 matches, drawing massive crowds throughout.

Former J&K captain Parvez Rasool, who recently retired from all forms of cricket, hailed the event as a success. “The enthusiasm this year was remarkable. Every match saw intense competition and tremendous crowd support,” he said.

Veteran cricketer Muzafar Gatoo described the league as “a celebration of Bijbehara’s deep-rooted cricketing culture.”

At the closing ceremony, MLA Bijbehara Syed Bashir Ahmad Shah Veeri and J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul, who were the chief guests, vowed to bring the Bijbehara Sports Stadium to the standards of Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar.

“I will try my level best to see this Nilandrus Bijbehara Stadium reach the standards of Bakshi Stadium,” Veeri said. “Bijbehara has produced exciting cricketing talent for decades, and this stadium will be developed as a model for the region.”

Nuzhat Gul reiterated the council’s commitment to sports development. “We will do everything possible to enhance this stadium and others across Kashmir,” she said. “Our focus is on improving facilities, nurturing raw talent, and ensuring youth choose sports over drugs.”

Once a waterlogged patch, the Bijbehara Sports Stadium has undergone a remarkable transformation with turf installation, drainage upgrades, and improved facilities, emerging as one of South Kashmir’s premier cricket venues.

Gul added that work on the Anantnag Cricket Stadium was underway and would soon be completed.

JKAS Officer Anisa Nabi also graced the ceremony and hailed the organisers for “conducting an event that generated tremendous enthusiasm and community participation.”