Today an event was organized by the Sports Council in various blocks of Pulwama where more than 4200 students, players, sportspersons participated in the ‘run for fun’.Various Rural sports activities under the banner of Khelo India programme are in full swing across the state with more athletes and players registering themselves with the Sports Council for different games in many more districts of the Kashmir division.The coaching cum competition camps which kick started on December 29 2016 has set the ball rolling and the improvement in weather conditions has only added to the growing number of participants in the said programme.The sports council which had earlier sought the registrations of the trainees and players up to the age of 19 years at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar and MA Stadium Jammu and respective district units of the Sports Council, the registration of players and athletes in the blocks of Rajpora, Parimpora and Pulwama was held today.More than 2300 students including boys and girls from Pulwama, 600 from Rajpora and around 1300 from Newa participated in the event.“It is for the first time that we are running in such a big event,” says Asma Zahoor, 9th class student of Pulwama who participated in any run for the first time.
The registered players were put through a battery of tests by the nominated selection committees of the respective blocks. Based on the performance in various competitions in the discipline of volleyball, Kho-Kho and Kabbadi, number of teams were framed for intra-competition, the finals of which are scheduled for tomorrow besides the programme being extended to the block of Yachigoza on the same day.The young and aspiring players from different blocks of district Pulwama looked enthusiastic and energetic.“I came from a far flung village of Rajpora block to participate in the athletic run and I am very much enthusiastic and hope that such evevnts will be continued in future also, ” says 8th class student Mudasir Zargar of Rajpora block.While talking about the event, Secretary Sports council, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, said that the council is trying best to promote sports at grass- root level and ensure a maximum participation of sports persons and enthusiastic youth.“The process of selection trials for different sports disciplines has helped in tapping the best talent of the state.”He further added, that the sole motive of the Sports Council is to promote and propagate the culture of sports among the youth and to encourage the budding sports persons and such initiatives will continue till all the sports niches of valley are covered.