Minister of State for Forest, Environment, Animal, Sheep Husbandry, Cooperative and Fisheries, Mir Zahoor Ahmad today attended the National Open Amateur and Professional Kickboxing Championship 2017at Indoor Stadium Srinagar organized by the J&K Amateur and Professional Kickboxing Association. The final match was played between J&K and Maharashtra in Girls section which was won by J&K.250 players from 8 states including Jammu and Kashmir , Rajasthan, Punjab Haryana Delhi, Maharashtra, and Gujarat participated in the event.A good number of sports lovers are present on the occasion. On the occasion, the Minister distributed the prizes among the participant players.The Minister highlighted the ongoing improvement in sports infrastructure in the State so that the local players can compete at National and International levels. He said several measures have been taken to upgrade the sports infrastructure with the aim to show case the hidden talent of the budding youth of the State. He asked the players to work with dedication and hone their skill so that they can compete at National and International levels. He said talent is present among the youth of the State but need is to channelize it in a proper way.Terming sports as an essential element in making a balance between mind, body and soul, Mir Zahoor exhorted upon youth to adopt extracurricular activities besides academic education for their personality development.Earlier, President of the Association briefed the Minister about the activities of the Association and National Open Amateur and Professional Kickboxing Championship 2017.