Baramulla, July 31: On a Friday afternoon that could have been just another football final, a group of schoolboys from Sopore did more than win a trophy. They offered a sliver of hope to a town grappling with one of Kashmir’s most persistent crises: drug addiction.
Sanctorum Public School, Sopore, defeated Kashmir Valley School, Humhama, 3–0 in the final of the U-17 Boys Inter-District Provincial Level Subroto Mukherjee Cup here on Friday, delivering a clinical performance that earned them a shot at the national stage.
The victory sends the Sopore side to the zonal round against the Jammu Division winner next week, with the winner securing a berth in the 65th Subroto Cup International Football Tournament 2026.
But for Shakir Ashraf, chairman of Sanctorum and the architect of the school’s grassroots football initiative, the triumph is personal. “Young men these days are hooked on drugs. This is a small effort, but it is paying off,” Shakir told Kashmir Convener.
The three-day championship, organised by the District Youth Services & Sports Office (DYSSO), Baramulla, saw the Sopore side dominate from the opening whistle. “This is the result of months of hard work, discipline, and belief,” the team’s coach said. “Playing a league for two months is never easy, but the players stayed focused from the first match to the last.”
The victory carries weight far beyond the football pitch. According to a parliamentary panel, Jammu and Kashmir has an estimated 13.5 lakh drug users, including over 1.68 lakh children in the 10–17 age group. Sopore, in particular, has been among the worst affected.
Parents and coaches have increasingly turned to sports as a countermeasure. “Earlier, parents were apprehensive about allowing their kids to hang out with others—you never knew when a youngster would fall into the trap,” said Zahid Shafi Mir, a league operator from Baramulla. “Now, when they lace their football boots, parents feel a sense of relief.”
The J&K administration’s ‘Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyaan’ to combat the menace recently completed its 100-day campaign. It had registered over 20,000 NDPS-related cases, detained 292 accused under the PIT-NDPS Act, attached properties worth around ₹188.9 crore linked to the narcotics trade, destroyed large quantities of contraband, and identified thousands of drug hotspots. It also recommended the suspension or cancellation of hundreds of driving licences and vehicle registrations, initiated passport impoundment in several cases, and taken action regarding the arms licences of individuals linked to drug activities.
J&K Sports Council Secretary Nuzhat Gul stressed that institutional support alone is not enough. “All our infrastructure and facilities will remain futile until every parent accepts that if their child pursues sports, they will stay away from drugs, lethargy, screen addiction, and antisocial behaviour,” she said.
Sanctorum now prepares for the zonal qualifier against the Jammu Division winner. The Subroto Cup, instituted in 1960, has served as a launchpad for numerous national-level football careers over the past six decades.
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