Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed sportspersons, sports officials at the first-ever national archery championship being held at M.A. Stadium, Jammu.Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that the great sporting spectacle honors skill, concentration and endurance. ‘More than winning or losing, it is sportsmanship that defines the true spirit of this game’, he added.The Lt Governor observed that under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister, with ample resources and strength, efforts are being made to fulfill the aspirations of farmers, women, youth, and sportspersons of J&K with utmost seriousness through fast decisions and formulation of requisite policies.The Lt Governor said that resources are being expanded to completely transform the sporting ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘This year, 221 state-of-the-art playfields will be built in all 20 districts and 157 sports courts will be constructed & upgraded. A Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall with world-class facilities will be constructed in almost all districts by the end of this financial year’, he added.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor directed the officials of UT Administration to redouble their efforts to quickly complete more than 300 sports infrastructure projects being executed across 20 districts.In a path-breaking move to infuse sporting culture and achieve sporting excellence, J&K is setting up a Khel Gaon at Nagrota, the Lt Governor observed.“We are witnessing sporting revolution in J&K. Players like Arif, Bavleen, Shreya, Sadia, Danish have made the UT proud. Many more raring for a place in the national team in different sports discipline. I hope that they earn glory for themselves and for the country through their performances on the field”, the Lt Governor said.The Lt Governor underscored that as part of the transformative policies, the first-ever sports policy has been notified and adopted for the promotion of sports and sporting activity in the UT. Besides, monetary incentives, it envisages provision of government jobs for sportspersons who secure medals in national and international competitions.The Lt Governor said that UT Government’s endeavor is to facilitate players of Jammu and Kashmir in getting ample sporting experience throughout the year and also provide opportunities for adequate exposure outside the UT.“
With aim of ‘Har Din Khel’, 17.5 lakh youth of UT were engaged in sports activities last year. This year also, under a special program, efforts are being made to connect 7.5 lakh youth with different disciplines of sports, besides organizing national level competitions in at least 17 sports disciplines”, the Lt Governor announced.The Lt Governor said the UT administration has ensured that our daughters also get equal opportunity to showcase their talent in sports.“Women Teams of Rugby, Football, Cricket, Volleyball, Kabaddi and Hockey have been formed in all the 20 districts, besides 357 girls from underprivileged section are being trained for hockey”, he added. The Lt Governor congratulated the Archery Association of India and J&K Sports Council for organizing a national level archery competition for the first time in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
On the occasion, the Lt Governor also mentioned about the new major sports infrastructure projects to be completed in the stipulated timeframe which include Archery Centre at Rajbagh Srinagar, Gymnastic Centre at Rajbagh Srinagar, Artificial Rock Climbing wall at MA Stadium, Jammu; Shooting Range at Bana Singh Stadium Jammu, Shooting Range at Srinagar, Athletic track under Khelo India Scheme in Baramulla, Athletic track at Mendhar, Poonch, Synthetic Volleyball centre at Poonch, Wrestling centre at RS Pura, Jammu. Later, the Lt Governor distributed Medals to all the Winners from different States/UTs of the country in the Compound Event of 41st Senior National (Men & Women) Archery Championship. Sh. Jugal Kishore Sharma, Member Parliament and President, J&K Archery Association while speaking on the occasion lauded the sporting spirit of all the participants hailing from different parts of the country. He said that continuous efforts are made by the government to promote sports activities across the country. Sh. Mukesh Singh, ADGP Jammu; Sh. Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary Youth Services and Sports; Sh. Rajinder Singh Tomar, Treasurer, Archery Association of India; Ms. Nuzhat Gul Secretary, J&K Sports Council besides large number of children, sportspersons, coaches and people were present on the occasion.