Srinagar, Aug 06: The Directorate of Physical Education & Sports (DPES), University of Kashmir (KU) on Thursday commenced the Inter-Department Football and Table Tennis Tournaments for Men, marking the beginning of series of sporting events, aimed at identifying emerging talent from across the University campuses and departments.

The tournaments have witnessed an overwhelming response from the teaching departments and satellite campuses of the University. As many as 19 teams are participating in the football tournament, while 15 teams are competing in the table tennis.

The  Inter- Department tournaments are organised with a view to provide students with a competitive platform to showcase their sporting abilities and earn opportunities to represent the University in forthcoming Inter-College, North Zone, and All India Inter-University Championships.

The inaugural Football match was played between the Department of Media Education Research Centre (MERC) and the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Studies turned out to be a thrilling match. After both teams scored 2 goals each by end of full time, the match was decided through a penalty shootout, where the Department of Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Studies held its nerve to register a 2-1 victory.

In 2nd match, Department of Computer Sciences defeated Department of History by 3 goals to 1.

Director, DPES KU, Prof. Raies Qadri, appreciated the enthusiasm displayed by the students and said that sports play a pivotal role in shaping responsible  citizens and future nation-builders by instilling values of dedication, perseverance, and mutual respect.

Prof. Qadri also highlighted that the remarkable performance of Indian athletes at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has inspired the sporting fraternity across the country.

He further announced that the Directorate will organize a series of inter-department and inter-collegiate tournaments in the coming weeks to provide greater competitive exposure to student-athletes.

The tournaments are being coordinated by Assistant Directors, DPES KU, Dr. Basharat Ali and Tausif Bhat, Football Coach, Sajid Dar, and Sports Assistant,  Surjeet Kour.