General Bipin Rawat Memorial Cricket Tournament | Army at forefront to keep Kashmir youth engaged in sports activities: GOC 15 Corps

Baramulla, Nov 5: The General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai stated that the Indian Army consistently supports the initiatives which are aimed at engaging the youth of Kashmir in sports activities and channelise their energy in a positive way.

He said this on the sidelines of post presentation ceremony of the final match of General Bipin Rawat Memorial Cricket Tournament- Baramulla Premier League, organised by the Dagger Division, Himalayan Brigade and Baramulla Rashtriya Rifles of the 19 Infantry Division of Indian Army at Jhelum stadium Baramulla.

"In Kashmir, people have a great passion for cricket, and that is why the 19th Infantry Division of the Army organised this cricket tournament in memory of Bipin Rawat. This is an annual event," he told reporters here.

GOC 15 Corps, Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai who was the Chief Guest at the final match of the tournament said the Indian Army deeply feel that the youth here have a strong passion for cricket. "I would like to say that the interesting matches that took place in the Baramulla Premier League might even rival today's cricket World Cup. Today's match was a close contest between the two teams which made it interesting till the last ball of the match," he said while referring to the final match of the tournament played between the Sultan Warriors and Baramulla Cricket Club (BCC) Reds in which the former clinched the title of the tournament.

Notably, the Sultan Warriors emerged victorious in a nail-biting match played against BCC Reds that had spectators on the edge of their seats until the very last ball of the inning.

The tournament was organised as a tribute to the late General Bipin Rawat, who was India's first Chief of Defence Staff.

The final match witnessed intense competition between the Sultan Warriors and BCC Reds, reflecting the high standards of cricket in the Baramulla Premier League. The stadium was abuzz with patriotic fervour as fans from all across the region flocked to witness the thrilling match.

Sultwan Warriors won the toss and decided to bat first and gave a target of 158 runs in the allotted 20 overs by losing six wickets. while chasing the target, BCC Reds lost the match by seven runs. The team made 151 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs.

Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai meanwhile congratulated both winner and runner-up teams for their outstanding performance in the final match.

"From my side, I extend hearty congratulations to the Sultan Warriors and Baramulla Reds for playing an outstanding match, especially to the Sultan Warriors' team, which won this tournament," he said.

He said such tournaments and sports activities are organized in Kashmir to keep the youth engaged in sports. Notably, on Friday, the Women's Premier League, organised by the Army, concluded in Baramulla.

Notably, the Bipin Rawat Memorial Cricket Tournament commenced on October 15 in which around 52 participating teams engaged in 50 thrilling 20-20 matches.

Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar, Major General Rajesh Sethi GoC 19 Infantry Division, Commander Uri Brigade, Brigadier Kuldeep and other senior Army officers were present at the occasion.