SRINAGAR: Continuing its endeavours of promoting and strengthening the sports ecosystem in the Union Territory, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha today launched the Golf Training Academy at the Kashmir Golf Club, Srinagar here. Expressing joy on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that the restoration work of the historic Golf Course after the 2014 floods has been done in the best way while maintaining its originality.
The Lt Governor said that it is a matter of great pride that Kashmir Golf Club, one of the oldest golf clubs with rich history, is the second only in the country after the Royal Golf Club, Kolkata. With best-in-class Golf courses, J&K aspires to be the Golfing capital of the country. A similar Golf Academy with national-level training facilities will be launched in Jammu soon, he added. Addressing the young sportspersons of the first batch of Golf Academy, the Lt Governor said that countless inspiring stories have originated from the Kashmir Golf Club and they will definitely experience them along with the nuances of the discipline during the coming 15 days of training. He informed that eminent coaches of the country will come to impart training and the first batch itself is starting with the world renowned player and coach of the Indian team Amandeep Johl. “We have made golf accessible to the common man of the society. It is no longer the game of elite only.
Dream of Inclusive society being realized”, added the Lt Governor. The Lt Governor enunciated that the talent of the sports can’t be limited, it always comes out in one form or the other and just needs an opportunity. “With proper resources and right training, we can produce Golf champions like Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Shiv Shankar Chaurasia, Aditi Ashok, Smriti Mehra, and Sharmila Nicollet in Jammu and Kashmir too”, he maintained. The Lt Governor said that Golf is considered by people to be an elite game, but the J&K administration is trying to make it available to the common people, even to the children studying in government schools. “Jammu and Kashmir is a powerhouse of sporting talent.
The administration is working diligently in creating a flourishing sports culture and providing right platforms to budding sports talents and will provide all possible assistance and necessary infrastructure to develop the potential of young sports talents of the UT”, the Lt Governor observed. Recalling the directions passed during the review meeting of Sports Department, the Lt Governor said that it was decided that this year more than 17 lakh children will be provided with opportunities to play in different sports disciplines. A multi-pronged strategy has been prepared, which includes developing sports infrastructure, organizing sports events in every nook and corner of the UT, arranging the best coaches, continuously monitoring and fully utilizing the assets we have. It was decided that at least 17 national level sports events would be held in J&K alone this year so that our youth get an opportunity to showcase their talent. On the occasion, the Lt Governor underscored that the sports infrastructure in J&K is better and more modern than many other regions of the country. “All the 4290 panchayats have been linked with at least 2-3 sports activities, playfields have been made for them and alternative arrangements are being made where there is no panchayat land. During the time of Corona restrictions, virtual training was arranged for 26,000 youth in various sports by the Sports Council”, he added.
The Lt Governor said that for the all-round development of youth, the government has given Rs 513 crore in the budget this year, which is Rs 17 crore more than last year. He informed that Suresh Raina’s academy for cricket coaching is honing the talents of youth in J&K and more than 2000 players took part in the cricket tournament organized in two districts following the Corona protocol. Whereas, to promote football, programs are being run in 10 districts of J&K and 750 talented youth are being given top-class training.
In football alone, 11 tournaments are being organized in J&K this year and around 1.5 lakh players are expected to participate in 3405 matches.
