Associated News Bureau

CM Omar Abdullah Honours 580 J&K Sportspersons with Rs 2.71 Crore Cash Awards, Launches Anti-Drug and Anti-Doping Campaign

SRINAGAR, AUGUST 10: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday honoured 580 outstanding sportspersons and international athletes from Jammu and Kashmir with cash awards totalling ₹2.71 crore at a special ceremony held at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), recognising their achievements in various sporting disciplines. The awards, pertaining to the years 2023-24 and 2024-25, were presented to 22 sportspersons personally by the Chief Minister, while the remaining beneficiaries received the assistance through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into their bank accounts. Congratulating the awardees, Omar Abdullah said the recognition marked the beginning of renewed government efforts to provide greater support and encouragement to sporting talent in Jammu and Kashmir. He said athletes could achieve better results when provided with adequate facilities, quality coaching, equipment and training opportunities. The Chief Minister also acknowledged the contribution of parents and families in supporting young athletes and said efforts would be made to reduce the financial burden associated with coaching, training, equipment and travel. Calling for significant improvement in sports infrastructure, Omar Abdullah said facilities at the grassroots level needed to be strengthened, particularly in mountainous and winter areas where adverse weather conditions restrict outdoor training for several months. He highlighted the need for more synthetic tracks, quality playing surfaces, indoor facilities and modern training infrastructure. He said Jammu and Kashmir’s altitude offered a natural advantage that could be utilised for establishing high-quality training centres for athletes and called for greater attention to a wide range of sporting disciplines. Referring to recent achievements by J&K sportspersons in cricket and Mixed Martial Arts, the Chief Minister stressed the need to promote both established and emerging sports. He also welcomed increased corporate participation in sports, particularly in coaching and athlete development, and called for greater support for disciplines beyond cricket. Linking sports development with the government’s campaign against drug abuse, Omar Abdullah said sustained investment in sports infrastructure and meaningful engagement with young people were essential to keeping them away from drugs. On the occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated J&K MMA fighter Owais Yaqoob for his notable victory at BRAVE CF 107 in Bulgaria, where he defeated an unbeaten two-time IMMAF World Champion. He also launched an anti-drug and anti-doping awareness campaign by handing over a campaign torch to a sports icon from Jammu and Kashmir. The torch will travel through schools and different areas of Srinagar as part of the awareness initiative. The Chief Minister said sports icons would play a key role in spreading awareness against drug abuse and doping while encouraging clean, fair and ethical 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 attended the ceremony. ANB