Bandipora, August 21: Minister for Youth Services and Sports Satish Sharma on Friday said that the Omar Abdullah-led government is committed to creating a robust sporting ecosystem where children and young people can transform their passion for sports into a viable profession.
Sharma was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the SKB Football Championship at Sports Stadium Naidkhai, organised by Kashmir Hunks and Thundrr FC. He said the government’s responsibility is to provide talented youngsters with the right platforms, facilities and opportunities to pursue sports seriously and build a future around their sporting abilities.
“We want to ensure that the passion our children have for sports does not remain confined to the playground. Our aim is to provide them opportunities so that they can make sports their profession,” Sharma said.
The championship commenced amid an enthusiastic response from the public, with a large gathering witnessing the opening encounter. The tournament provided young footballers with an important platform to showcase their talent, gain competitive exposure and interact with the wider sporting community.
Sharma said grassroots-level sporting events are vital for identifying, nurturing and promoting emerging talent. He emphasised the need to further strengthen sports infrastructure, expand access to quality training and ensure that talented sportspersons from every part of Jammu and Kashmir receive adequate opportunities to excel.
He said the government would continue to support initiatives that encourage greater participation of children and youth in sports, adding that sporting activities also contribute significantly towards discipline, teamwork, confidence and overall personality development.
The Minister appreciated the organisers, players and the local community for their efforts in promoting football at the grassroots level and expressed hope that the championship would help identify promising footballing talent from the area.
MLA Sonawari Hilal Akbar Lone, MLA Bandipora Nizamuddin Bhat, officials of the Sports Council and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
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