KU VC inaugurates J&K Premier League

Srinagar: To encourage the culture of sports and to provide the best quality facilities and infrastructure to youth, the University of Kashmir (KU) inaugurated the long-awaited ‘Ground C’, a newly established sports ground at the varsity’s main campus, while officially inaugurating the Jammu and Kashmir Premier League (JKPL) Wednesday here.

Vice-chancellor, University of Kashmir, Prof Nilofer Khan in the presence of Deputy Commissioner (DC), Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad and Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC), Athar Amir officially inaugurated Ground C throwing it open for sports activities and training that began with the inaugural ceremony of the JKPL, a Twenty20 (T20) cricket tournament.

The ground is a collaborative project between the university and the organisers and promoters of JKPL.

Terming the partnership between KU and JKPL a healthy relation in terms of effective utilisation of sports infrastructure and organising sports events, the vice-chancellor said this will act as a platform to promote sports culture and training of young and talented youth.

“The facility is all for the young talent who will get to chisel their skills through world-class professional training and quality infrastructure,” she said while appreciating the varsity’s Directorate of Physical Education and Sports (DPES) and the organisers for developing the field.

DC Srinagar, Mohammad Aijaz Asad while interacting with the participating teams encouraged the youth to participate in such sports activities. He said, “Our youth are talented and this will provide them a platform to hone their sports skills while simultaneously continuing their education.”

Commissioner, SMC, Athar Amir said a good city is known by the kind of public avenues it has for its citizens while emphasising the need of having proper sports facilities and infrastructure for overall social development. “It is heart-warming to see the university opening up its facilities for organising such events. This will go a long way in nurturing our future talent,” he said.

Prof. A M Matto, former Director CCAS, who was also present in the inaugural ceremony appreciated the efforts of the university for engaging the youth in both academic & extracurricular activities.

Speaking about the infrastructure available and the support of the government, Registrar University of Kashmir, Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir said the government has already released funds for developing a cricket stadium on the campus for fostering a strong culture of health and sports in the campus,”

Director, Directorate of Physical Education and Sports (DPES), Dr Musavir Ahmad while sharing details about holding the tournament at Ground C highlighted the importance of promoting sports activities and how collaborations could be beneficial in identifying new talent.

During the inaugural ceremony, the uniforms of the participating teams were also unveiled.

The varsity’s own cricket team is also participating in the tournament.

With a multicamera set-up in place and the availability of the third umpire, the tournament will be broadcast live on Red FM, YouTube and Facebook Live all match days.