Stressing the need for promoting sports culture among youth, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Choudhary Zulfkar Ali today said besides good education, promotion of sports is must for overall development of an individual.The Minister said this at the concluding function of 10-day coaching camp organized by Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council (JKSCC) under “Khelo India Competition” at district Samba.Highlighting the importance of sports, Zulfkar Ali said the promotion of sports culture helps in an overall development of an individual, and present Government is committed for its promotion in the State. He said that people especially youth instead of wasting their energies on wrongful activities like stone pelting, and drug menace, could use the same for bringing laurels for themselves as well as for the State.Quoting an example from Punjab, the Minister said that neighboring state of State is losing its youth to drug menace, and to prevent such things from going viral promotion of sports culture is must.He said J&K Government would continue to ensure various sports related initiatives are taken so that the youth here instead of resorting to drug menace would spend their time in various sports activities.
Congratulating the participants for taking part in the programme, the Minister said gone are the days when only people with academic brilliance were seen as successful. He said these days where some look at India’s former President A P J, and great scientist Abdul Kalam as their role model, there are many for who sports icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Mahindra Singh Dhoni or P V Sindu are a source of inspiration. The Minister added the important thing is to strive hard for your passion as all these sports as academicians did in their lives before attaining the feet of glory.Expressing his optimism, the Minister said that he is hopeful that with the initiatives like “Khelo India Special Coaching camps”, one day J&K would be able to produce national as well as international players not only from Samba, but also from the remote villages of the State.Congratulating the organizing agency for holding the camp the Minister said similar type of camps should be held in far flung areas of the State so that talent there besides, getting groomed could also get an opportunity to avail the facilities that they would not be able to have in normal circumstances.Later, the Minister along with people present in the function was enthralled by a demonstration of Wush game done by youngsters trained in the camp. At the end, the Minister also distributed cash award of Rs 500, and Khelo India T-Shirts among the participants.Similar kinds of camps are organized by J&K SSC across the State, and the initiative is funded by State Sports Authority of India (SAI).FCS&CA G S Chib, Joint Controller, Jammu, Legal Metrology Department, V S Sambyal, Chief Sports Officer, J&K SSC Abdul Qayoom, In Charge, Sports Authority of India (SAI) Virender Sharma, Sat Pal Sharma, and other sports personalities were present in the function.