Rains wash out weekend outdoor sports across Kashmir
Srinagar, Apr 20: Just as outdoor sporting activities were picking up momentum across the Kashmir Valley, heavy rainfall last weekend put a damper on the excitement, leading to the cancellation and postponement of numerous matches and tournaments.
Some organisers said multiple cricket, football, and other sporting events were underway across the Valley, but that the continuous rains and overcast skies left grounds waterlogged, making them unfit for play and forcing them to call off scheduled fixtures.
“Everything was in place. Our kits were ready, and the ground was marked. But the rain just didn’t stop,” said Imtiyaz Ahmad, a cricketer from Srinagar, while speaking to Greater Kashmir.
Similar reports poured in from South Kashmir, where players confirmed that nearly all local-level tournament matches slated for Saturday and Sunday were called off due to poor ground conditions.
Mushtaq Ahmad, organiser of a tournament, said several cricket tournaments—particularly in north and south Kashmir—had been progressing well until the weather disrupted plans. Many weekend fixtures had been scheduled, especially on Sunday, with expectations of favourable playing conditions and a good turnout.
Touseef Ahmad, a local cricketer from Srinagar, said the wet spell was a major setback. “Ninety-nine per cent of matches scheduled on Saturday and Sunday got washed away due to heavy downpour,” he told Greater Kashmir. “We had planned everything, but the rains made it impossible to go ahead.”
The historic Polo Ground in Dalgate, the Eidgah ground, and several other key playing fields in the city and across districts remained out of bounds as they were either submerged in rainwater or rendered completely unplayable due to soggy conditions.
Tournament organisers, however, remain hopeful. With an expected improvement in weather, many are looking to reschedule matches in the coming days.
Meanwhile, according to the weatherman in Srinagar, for 21st April, the forecast would be generally cloudy with the possibility of light rain/thunder in scattered places.
From 22 to 28 April, the MeT centre in Srinagar has predicted generally dry weather with cloudiness towards the evening of 25th April. Make it a good news story for the sports page of the newspaper.
