Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired a review meeting of the Youth Services & Sports Department, emphasizing the pivotal role of the department in channelizing the energy of the youth into productive avenues.
He stressed that apart from sports, young people should be encouraged to explore diverse domains such as music, arts, and other creative pursuits in line with their interests and aspirations.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D vaidya, Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services & Sports (YS&S), Yasha Mudgal; Director General, YS&S; Director General, Resources; Executive Director, J&K Bank; Secretary, J&K Sports Council; and other senior officers.
Reiterating the government’s commitment to youth development, the Chief Secretary assured the department of unhindered and adequate budgetary support. He also directed the department to proactively engage with corporate entities, including CPSUs and J&K Bank, to secure sponsorships for athletes, particularly for advanced training and exposure in outside states and coaching camps.
The Chief Secretary underscored the importance of publicizing an annual calendar of activities to broaden outreach and attract greater participation from youth across the UT.
He further advised the department to work towards hosting high-profile sporting events in Jammu and Kashmir, especially in football, cricket, and other popular disciplines.
Highlighting the need to nurture talent across multiple fields, Dulloo called for organizing talent hunt festivals in music, dance, arts, and other youth-centric activities.
He also stressed the importance of bringing national-level events like that of the Khelo India Winter Games and Khelo India Water Sports Festival held regularly in J&K in other spirts disciplines too. He assured that he would make personal efforts to facilitate collaborations with premier sports bodies like the AIFF and BCCI to realize this vision.
The Chief Secretary further emphasized the creation of role models for youth and instructed the department to strengthen initiatives for establishing Centres of Excellence in different sporting disciplines in the UT.
Presenting the achievements of the department, Commissioner Secretary, YS&S, Yasha Mudgal informed that the Union Territory recorded a remarkable improvement in its medal tally this year, with youth athletes winning 44 Gold, 54 Silver, and 82 Bronze medals, compared to 31 Gold, 20 Silver, and 52 Bronze last year. This also includes 3 Gold, 1 Silver, and 1 Bronze medal at international competitions.
She further highlighted that around 35.5 lakh youth were engaged in departmental activities last year, and efforts are underway to raise this figure to 45 lakh youth during the current year.
Providing details of upcoming engagements, it was informed that the J&K Sports Council is set to organize 79 activities across the UT, including 4 international, 7 national, 27 UT-level, 14 league/community activities, and 27 coaching camps, targeting participation of nearly 25 lakh youth.
In addition, the Directorate of Youth Services & Sports will conduct 213 activities across districts, engaging another 12 lakh youth. These will include marquee events such as the 69th National School Games, Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue, Snow Skiing competitions, and other mega events.
On infrastructure development, it was revealed that 343 capex works are currently underway, of which 55 have been completed and 220 are scheduled for completion this year, further strengthening the sports ecosystem in the UT.
