Secretary, Youth Services and Sports (YSS) and Tourism departments, Sarmad Hafeez along with Secretary, J&K Sports Council Nuzhat Gull toured many sports facilities of district today and inspected the newly set up and existing sports infrastructure here.
The Secretary during the tour also made surprise visit to sports centres, inspected coaching classes and also interacted with trainees. He sought feedback from them to improve the standard of coaching and learning in these centres.
During the tour, Sarmad Hafeez also inspected the historic M. A Stadium and adjoining Indoor Sports Complex and gave on-spot directions to the concerned officers for necessary repairs and renovations.
Secretary YSS during the tour also visited the ongoing “Yonex-Sunrise Inter-State Badminton Championships-2022” currently being held at Indoor Sports Complex, M.A. Stadium here.
Sarmad Hafeez while speaking on the occasion said that it is heartening to see J&K hosting many national championships this year and our players taking an active part in sports and shining in different games like their counterparts from the rest of the country. “The remarkable thing about sports is that it teaches us to be part of a team, communicate with others, and adapt to different situations and equips us with life-changing experiences”, he added.
Referring to the obvious benefits associated with sports, Sarmad Hafeez said more and more youngsters should be encouraged to take part in sports. He added that participation in any sport helps in building healthy habits which last a lifetime as well as lead to better mental health.
Yonex-Sunrise Inter-State Badminton Championships-2022 is being organized by J&K Badminton Association under the auspices of the Badminton Association of India and in collaboration with the J&K Sports Council. Around 250 players and officials from seven North Zone states and union territories including Chandigarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan besides hosts Jammu and Kashmir are participating in the tournament.
Director Youth Services and Sports, Subash Chander Chibber; Divisional Sports Officers, Ashok Singh and Nuzhat Farooq; Member Sports Council, Rajeev Sharma, managers and coaches from sports council, representatives from all the recognized sports associations of J&K, besides other officers were also present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, in the ongoing Inter-State Badminton Championship, the J&K team bagged a bronze medal in the Girl’s Junior category, while Haryana clinched gold and Delhi settled for a silver medal.
