J&K to host 69th National School Games, over 4000 athletes expected

Srinagar, Oct 1: Jammu and Kashmir will host the 69th National School Games beginning in October, with more than 4,000 young athletes from across India set to compete in football, wushu, taekwondo and table tennis, officials said.

As per a statement, the events, as per the Department of Youth Services and Sports, will be held across venues in Srinagar and Jammu commencing in October 2024.

The National School Games, conducted under the aegis of the School Games Federation of India and supported by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, is India's largest school-level multi-sport event. It serves as a fundamental feeder system for national and international sporting competitions, with many of the country's most celebrated athletes having begun their journeys on this very platform.

The upcoming games will feature competitions in four disciplines: football, wushu, taekwondo, and table tennis. Athletes will compete across the Under-14, Under-17, and Under-19 age categories. The event is also expected to be graced by the presence of various dignitaries, policymakers, and iconic figures from the world of Indian sports.

To finalise the arrangements for this major sporting extravaganza, Anuradha Gupta, Director General of the Department of Youth Services and Sports, chaired a detailed meeting with all the convenors of the organising committee in Srinagar on Tuesday. Elaborating on the preparations, Gupta confirmed the comprehensive schedule for the competitions.

The football event for under-19 boys will be held from the 6th to the 10th of October at multiple venues, including Polo Ground, TRC Srinagar, S. P. College, University of Kashmir, GCOPE Ganderbal, and Green Valley in Srinagar. This will be followed by the Wushu championship for under-17 boys and girls from the 28th of October to the 1st of November at the Indoor Sports Complex and Indoor Complex Pologround in Srinagar.