Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today addressed sportspersons, sports officials at the first-ever national archery championship being held at M.A. Stadium, Jammu. Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor said that the great sporting spectacle honors skill, concentration and endurance. ‘More than winning or losing, it is sportsmanship that defines the true spirit of this game’, he added. The Lt Governor observed that under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister, with ample resources and strength, efforts are being made to fulfill the aspirations of farmers, women, youth, and sportspersons of J&K with utmost seriousness through fast decisions and formulation of requisite policies. The Lt Governor said that resources are being expanded to completely transform the sporting ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. ‘This year, 221 state-of-the-art playfields will be built in all 20 districts and 157 sports courts will be constructed & upgraded. A Multi-Purpose Indoor Sports Hall with world-class facilities will be constructed in almost all districts by the end of this financial year’, he added. On the occasion, the Lt Governor directed the officials of UT Administration to redouble their efforts to quickly complete more than 300 sports infrastructure projects being executed across 20 districts. In a path-breaking move to infuse sporting culture and achieve sporting excellence, J&K is setting up a Khel Gaon at Nagrota, the Lt Governor observed. “We are witnessing sporting revolution in J&K. Players like Arif, Bavleen, Shreya, Sadia, Danish have made the UT proud. Many more raring for a place in the national team in different sports discipline. I hope that they earn glory for themselves and for the country through their performances on the field”, the Lt Governor said. The Lt Governor underscored that as part of the transformative policies, the first-ever sports policy has been notified and adopted for the promotion of sports and sporting activity in the UT. Besides, monetary incentives, it envisages provision of government jobs for sportspersons who secure medals in national and international competitions. The Lt Governor said that UT Government’s endeavor is to facilitate players of Jammu and Kashmir in getting ample sporting experience throughout the year and also provide opportunities for adequate exposure outside the UT. “With aim of ‘Har Din Khel’, 17.5 lakh youth of UT were engaged in sports activities last year. This year also, under a special program, efforts are being made to connect 7.5 lakh youth with different disciplines of sports, besides organizing national level competitions in at least 17 sports disciplines”, the Lt Governor announced.
