Twin fests spark energy at GDC Baramulla, Indoor Stadium
Baramulla, Jun 17: A mix of athleticism and creativity swept through the Government Degree College (GDC) Baramulla as the twin events, the Varmul Gindo Sports Festival and the Annual Media Fest 2025, brought together athletes, students, and young artists, celebrating sports, filmmaking, and youthful energy.
Organised by the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council and the Dagger Division Baramulla, the mega sporting event, which witnessed the participation of around 2,000 athletes, was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Indoor Stadium Khoja Bagh, within the vicinity of the GDC Baramulla campus.
Besides the sporting event, GDC Baramulla hosted an Annual Media Fest-2025 wherein the GDC students, alumni, and students from other colleges and universities participated to showcase their talent in photography, filmmaking and photo essays.
The college campus buzzed with activity and youthful energy throughout the day, as students enthusiastically participated in both events.
The athletes, both boys and girls, showcased their skills across various sports disciplines, including martial arts.
The Varmul Gindo Festival featured as many as 20 sporting events, drawing participation from 1,600 young athletes and sports enthusiasts.
The games included football, hockey, volleyball, handball, junior cricket, basketball, kabaddi, kho kho, table tennis, badminton, chess, carrom, karate and wushu.
The Sports Festival was inaugurated by Major General Paranvir Singh Punia, GOC Dagger Division Baramulla, who was the chief guest on the occasion.
MLA Gulmarg Farooq Ahmad Shah, MLA Baramulla Javid Hassan Baig, DDC Chairperson Baramulla Safeena Beigh, Commander Artillery Brigade Brigadier Rajat Bhat and SSP Baramulla Gurinder Pal Singh were also present at the occasion.
On the occasion, the participants shared their excitement, saying that such events provided a good platform for athletes to showcase their talent.
"It is a good step taken by the J&K State Council and Indian Army to give such a wide platform to the athletes,” a female rugby player said.
Youth leader Touseef Raina said Baramulla has been grappling with a rise in substance abuse cases, and such events will take youth on a positive and constructive path.
“It is good to see young boys and girls participating in this event,” Touseef Raina said.
Meanwhile, the annual media fest of GDC Baramulla brought together young filmmakers and other artists to showcase their talent of storytelling through visuals and graphics.
Principal GDC Baramulla Prof. Mohammad Shafi Lone, while speaking about the fest, said that in the age of digital transformation, media education was not just about producing content but also about shaping thought, sparking dialogue, and building responsible storytellers.
“Over the years, the Department of Media Studies has done a tremendous job by creating such a vibrant platform for our students,” he said.
In his address, vice principal GDC Baramulla, Prof Tariq Chalkoo, said that Media Festival 2025 was not only an event but a reflection of how far our students have come in blending academic learning with creative application.
“It is inspiring to witness such dedication,” he said.
During the event, student projects developed during their semesters were also screened and evaluated by the jury.
A photography competition was held at the event, which was followed by a photo exhibition as well.
The students also showcased short trailers as part of the film competition, which was judged by filmmaker Ronaq Zahoor.
