Govt creating robust sports culture: LG Manoj Sinha

Jammu, Mar 13: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Wednesday said that the government was creating a robust sports culture.

“Adequate sports infrastructure, new sports policy, upgradation in the quality of coaches, youth engagement drives at the panchayat level, LG Rolling Trophy, and various other initiatives will create a robust sports culture involving all sections and secure attractive career track for athletes,” the LG said during the felicitation ceremony of medal winners of national and international competitions for the years 2021-22 and 2022-23.

He congratulated all the athletes and coaches on their outstanding performances. A total of 368 sportspersons from 17 disciplines received special cash awards amounting to Rs 1.35 crore directly in their bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

Rs 12 lakh was awarded to Aqsa Gulzar in Pencak Silat and Sohan Kamotra was awarded with Rs 8 lakh in Chess.

The LG also inaugurated a state-of-the-art synthetic football turf costing Rs 4.83 crore at Parade Ground in Jammu.

He also laid the foundation stone of the synthetic hockey field at Bandhurakh worth Rs 4.85 crore.

“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have built modern sports infrastructure, providing world-class training and mentoring to athletes and all other supports to ensure J&K's sportspersons can achieve excellence in national and international sporting events,” LG Sinha said.

He felicitated the para teams and women athletes for their remarkable feat in major sporting events.

The LG said that the recent successes in the Asian Para Games, National Games, and National School Games of athletes and players from J&K had kindled brighter hope of an upswing in performances in many more international events. He said that sports icons were the true inspiration for the youth of J&K and the efforts of the government to take sports to villages, far-flung and border areas had bridged the decades-old gap between talents and opportunities. LG Sinha said that a total of 702 sports projects had been completed in the last few years.

“Two athletic tracks, one each at the University of Jammu and the University of Kashmir; five synthetic hockey fields and two synthetic football fields have been constructed at Pulwama, Srinagar, Jammu, Poonch, Nagrota. Further, more athletic tracks, synthetic hockey, and synthetic football fields are coming up at Jammu, Poonch, Sopore, Srinagar, Shopian, Baramulla, Ganderbal, Jagti Nagrota, and Rajouri,” he said.

The LG commended the endeavours of the Sports Department, Sports Council, and associations for promoting sports activities in J&K.

He also highlighted the commitment of the J&K administration towards the welfare of the sportspersons bringing laurels to the country and J&K. “We are determined to complete the recruitment process of sportspersons at the earliest,” LG Sinha said.

He interacted with the sportspersons and handed over sports kits and equipment to the budding players.

Advisor to Lt Governor, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar; Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Sarmad Hafeez; Secretary, J&K Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul were also present on the occasion.