Sports Minister, Advisor to CM flag off J&K Football team for Santosh Trophy

Jammu, Dec 11: Minister for Youth Services and Sports, Satish Sharma and Advisor to Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani, today flagged off Jammu and Kashmir senior Men’s Football team for participation in the final round of prestigious Santosh Trophy.

The event, held at Mini Stadium, Parade Jammu, was also attended by Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, Sarmad Hafeez, Director General, Youth Services and Sports, Tara Singh and Secretary, J&K Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul, along with other senior officials.

The final round of the Santosh Trophy is scheduled to be held in Telangana, where the J&K team will compete against top teams from across the country. To mark the occasion, a friendly match between the J&K Police Team and the J&K Santosh Trophy Team was played in front of the dignitaries.

As part of the ceremony, the Sports Minister and Advisor to CM distributed sports kits among the athletes from various Khelo India centres in J&K.

Satish Sharma congratulated the team for their exceptional performance in the preliminary round held in Punjab, which secured their qualification for the finals. He praised the J&K Sports Council for organizing a high-quality coaching camp and providing the necessary technical and infrastructural support to the players.

Nasir Aslam Sogami lauded the athletes for their dedication and wished them success in the upcoming matches. Highlighting the global appeal of football, he expressed pride in the achievements of players and assured full government support in transforming the J&K into a hub for sports excellence.

The coaching camp for the final round was held at Mini Stadium, Parade Jammu, under the guidance of formal international footballer and renowned coach Mehrajuddin Wadoo, along with chief football coach, Satpal Singh Kala. The J&K Sports Council ensured that players received residential facilities, infrastructure and other necessary resources under the directions of the Secretary, J&K Sports Council.

The players, fueled with determination, expressed optimism about their performance and aimed to achieve better results as they have prepared to compete against the nation’s best football teams.