Will take sports in Sopore to new heights: ADC
KD Correspondent
SOPORE, Dec 1: The only sports ‘stadium’ in north Kashmir’s Sopore town is in dilapidated condition for years now, thus narrating a woeful tale of the sports scenario in the area.
“What has happened to the J&K Government’s claims of launching a sports revolution in the union territory? Stadiums like in Sopore that are in shambles reflect a deflate the balloon of these claims,” local opined, while talking to Kashmir Despatch.
A local observed, “The sports department must exhibit seriousness in promoting sports by creating infrastructure at the grassroots level rather than making hollow claims every other day.”
The Khushal stadium in Sopore, where mega sports tournaments were held in recent years and hundreds of youth would participate in various sports activities throughout the year.
The local sportspersons demand renovation of the playing field in addition to the completion of pending work on the stadium. Talking with Kashmir Despatch, they said the ground, has turned it very bumpy due to which sports lovers are feeling very dejected.
“Our valley is facing the nuisance of drug addiction, which is primarily due to the lack of recreational opportunities for our youth. Besides the development of sports grounds is very important to keep our youth away from drug menace,” Lateef Ahmad, a local player, said.
Many a time, the officials visited the ground and assured us that it would be transformed into a stadium. “But the sorry state of sports infrastructure in this speaks volumes about their seriousness.”
“We conducted exhibition matches in which we invited government officers just to catch their attention towards the plight of this sports field. However, all our efforts have proven futile sofar,” said another player in the area.
Locals and players requested higher-ups look into the matter and level the ground, as well as ban the entry of heavy motor vehicles into the ground.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore Parvaiz Sajad Ganai told Kashmir Despatch over the phone: “We are on it on a priority basis. Whatever is possible will be done.” He stated that a meeting with the R&B department and officials from youth service and sports was already held in this regard. “I have already instructed them to submit a report to my office. Once I receive the report, I will look into it.”
Pertinently, earlier this year, this sports stadium hosted one of the most successful football tournaments under floodlights, where thousands of sports enthusiasts participated every evening from across north Kashmir.
The secretary of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council, Nuzhat Gul, also visited the stadium on the occasion of the football finale.
