CM Omar Abdullah Inaugurates Rs 30.35-Crore Sports Complex at Gindun Rajbagh
SRINAGAR, OCTOBER 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday inaugurated a Rs 30.35-crore package of sports infrastructure at the Sher-i-Kashmir Multi Sports Activity Centre (SKMSAC), Gindun Rajbagh, aimed at strengthening swimming and gymnastics facilities for young athletes in Jammu and Kashmir.
The newly commissioned infrastructure includes a 50-metre by 25-metre, 10-lane Olympic-sized swimming pool, an all-weather heated training and toddler pool, and a modern indoor gymnastics hall equipped with advanced sporting equipment.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the new facilities would provide children and young athletes with opportunities to explore sports beyond traditional disciplines and undertake training throughout the year.
He said the Olympic-sized swimming pool was a significant addition to Kashmir's sports infrastructure, particularly as its heating system would facilitate year-round training.
“Through this facility, we are trying to provide students with a new sports milieu. For the first time, Kashmir has an Olympic-sized swimming pool. There is also an arrangement for heating through solar energy, enabling children to practise and train here throughout the year,” Omar Abdullah said.
Constructed at a cost of ₹19.96 crore, the main swimming pool features 10 competition lanes, diving platforms at 1, 3 and 5 metres, modern filtration, circulation and disinfection systems, changing rooms, washrooms, storage lockers and spectator seating for 300 people.
The facility has been developed to support competitive swimming, diving and other aquatic sports, while providing a platform for athletes to prepare for higher-level competitions.
The ₹5.35-crore training and toddler swimming pool facility has been designed for year-round use. It includes a heating system, an indoor lap pool, a child-friendly toddler pool, anti-skid pool decking, modern filtration and disinfection systems, along with changing and shower facilities.
The facility is expected to benefit athletes, students and the wider community, besides enabling sustained swimming training during the winter months.
The ₹5.04-crore indoor gymnastics hall, measuring 36 metres by 21 metres with a height of 10 metres, has been equipped with modern gymnastics equipment. It is intended to provide dedicated infrastructure for gymnastics training and coaching in Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council has been conducting coaching camps and working towards developing a dedicated Gymnastics Academy.
Highlighting the need for such infrastructure in Kashmir, the Chief Minister said children in the region had shown considerable interest in gymnastics but lacked adequate facilities to pursue the sport.
“Generally, when we talk about gymnastics in Jammu and Kashmir, we only talk about Jammu. However, our children are interested in it and want to pursue it in Kashmir. But due to the lack of infrastructure, they could not,” he said.
Referring to the newly inaugurated facility, Omar Abdullah said the government would continue expanding sports infrastructure and creating opportunities for children to take up new disciplines.
“A magnificent indoor gymnastics hall was inaugurated today. In the same way, we will keep adding more sports so that we can give our children options and alternatives and enable them to develop an interest in new sports,” he added.
During the inauguration, the Chief Minister witnessed live swimming and gymnastics demonstrations by sportspersons and trainees at the newly developed facilities.
The new infrastructure is expected to strengthen grassroots participation, expand access to professional coaching and create better pathways for young athletes to compete at national and international levels. The all-weather aquatic facilities will also support uninterrupted training during the winter season.
Minister for Youth Services and Sports Satish Sharma, Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, MLA Lal Chowk Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed, MLA Hazratbal Salman Sagar, MLA Zadibal Tanvir Sadiq, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Secretary J&K Sports Council Tazayun Mukhtar Kawoosa, besides students, sportspersons and senior officers, were present on the occasion. ANB
