Minister of State for Education, Tourism and Culture, Priya Sethi stressed on promotion and development of rural sports and said that the government is making committed efforts to develop adequate sports infrastructure in the state particularly in rural areas to provide basic sports facilities to encourage and nurture the local talent.
The Minister was speaking during the finals of Junior Gold Cup Kabaddi Championship 2018organized by Jammu District Kabaddi Association at Green Field Ground here.
Vishwa Bharti Kendra drubs Gandhi Memorial, RS Pura by 30 points in Boys section and KV-No. 1 Gandhi Nagar beat Women College Gandhi Nagar by 6 points to clinch the Junior Gold Cup Kabaddi Championship 2018.
In boys category, Gandhi Memorial, R.S Pura and Unique Public School bagged 2nd and 3rd place respectively where as GCW, Gandhi Nagar took away the runners trophy and SOS Hermann bagged the 3rd spot in girls category .
Stressing on necessity of developing sports infrastructure, the Minister highlighted several initiatives taken by the government to strengthen the sports structure in the state by ensuring modern sports infrastructure and providing an appropriate platform to give necessary exposure to the local players at national and International level.
The Minister appreciated the organizers for providing a platform to the local talent especially the female players to display their ability and encourage them to compete at higher level.
“A collective efforts on the part of parents, teachers and other private sports organizations should be put in to develop a sports culture in the state”, the Minister affirmed.
Priya said it is important to nurture the raw talent and for doing so more such organizations must come forward to support the future sports stars.
She said that the rural sports like Kabaddi have an immense potential in the state and more such tournaments will act as an encouraging factor for the local players and inculcate a sense of great competitiveness among them.
Priya said that these talented players have proved that with proper facilities and support, they can achieve greater heights. She interacted with the players and congratulated them for their efforts.
Referring to Centre Government’s initiatives to promote the rural sports, the Minister said that under Khelo India, there is an exclusive component for the development of traditional sports.
Showing her keen interest for the promotion and development of Kabaddi, the Minister assures that every necessary measure will be taken to provide better facilities and ensure safety of the Kabaddi Players and if required, funds will be released from her CDF in this regard.
Speaking on the occasion, State Vice President, BJP, Yudhvir Sethi said that such type of events will encourage youth to take up sports and lay down a platform for local players to display their talent at higher level. Sports not only lead to better health but also build character, promote team spirit among the youth and guide them towards a disciplined life, he added.
The dignitaries distributed the trophies, medals and certificates to the winners, runners and third placed teams.
Asif and Ayushi declared as Best Players of the tournament in their respective categories.
CEO of J&K Kabbadi Association, Kuldeep Kumar Gupta, General Secretary, J&K Amateur Kabaddi Association, Surinder Mohan Gupta, Treasurer, Sangram Singh, Observer ,Naveen Sharma, Jammu Distt Secretary, Dinesh Gupta, Organizing Secretary, Anil Modi, Kabbadi Coaches, Anil Sharma,Shashi Sharma, Ajay Gupta & Dhiraj, Kabbadi Trainers, Anuradha & Poonam Jamwal, and Commentator, Rakesh Kumar besides senior Kabaddi players and other sports personalities were present on the occasion.
