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SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today presented cash awards amounting to ₹2.71 crore to 580 outstanding sportspersons and international athletes from Jammu and Kashmir at a Special Cash Award Ceremony held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here, recognising their achievements in the field of sports.
The cash awards pertain to the years 2023-24 and 2024-25. The Chief Minister personally handed over awards to 22 sportspersons, while the awards to the remaining beneficiaries were disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) directly into their bank accounts.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister congratulated the awardees and said the cash awards marked the beginning of the Government’s efforts to provide greater support and encouragement to sporting talent in Jammu and Kashmir. “I would like to congratulate all the awardees from the bottom of my heart. This is the result of your hard work,” he said, stressing that athletes can deliver better results when provided with the right facilities, coaching, equipment and training opportunities.
Acknowledging the contribution of parents and families in supporting young athletes, the Chief Minister said efforts would be made to ensure that sportspersons do not face undue financial pressure for coaching, training, equipment and travel. “We should also increase this gradually, so that our athletes do not have to worry about investing in coaching, training, equipment, travel, etc. We should not put too much pressure on your families and parents,” he said.
Emphasising the need to address gaps in sports infrastructure, Omar Abdullah said Jammu and Kashmir must significantly improve facilities at the grassroots level. He pointed to the shortage of synthetic tracks, quality playing surfaces, indoor facilities and other training infrastructure, particularly in mountainous and winter zones where adverse weather limits outdoor training for several months.
The Chief Minister said Jammu and Kashmir’s altitude was an inherent advantage that could be leveraged to establish high-quality training centres for athletes. “We have to capitalise on this. We have to use this by establishing high-quality training centres. And we have to pay attention to different sports,” he said.
Calling for greater attention to both established and emerging sporting disciplines, the Chief Minister referred to the recent achievements of J&K sportspersons in cricket and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), stressing the need to maintain a balance in promoting different sports. He also called for greater support for disciplines beyond cricket and welcomed growing corporate participation in sports, particularly in coaching and athlete development.
Linking sports with the wider effort to keep young people away from drugs, the Chief Minister said sustained investment in sports infrastructure and engagement with youth was essential to making the anti-drug campaign effective. “Staying away from drugs is not just a slogan for one day a year. Twelve months of that year, seven days a week, and that will only happen when we can give infrastructure to sports and get the attention of the kids,” he said.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated J&K MMA fighter Owais Yaqoob for his remarkable victory at BRAVE CF 107 in Bulgaria, where he defeated an unbeaten two-time IMMAF World Champion in a display of skill, determination and grit. He also launched an anti-drugs and anti-doping campaign by handing over a campaign torch to a sports icon from Jammu and Kashmir. The torch will travel through different schools and areas of Srinagar as part of the awareness campaign.
The Chief Minister said sports icons would play an important role in spreading awareness against drug abuse and doping, while promoting clean and fair competition. Minister for Sports Satish Sharma, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Hazratbal Salman Ali Sagar, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, Commissioner Secretary, Youth Services & Sports, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Secretary Sports Council, sports icons, sportspersons, athletes, coaches, awardees and their parents were present on the occasion.
