Kashmir’s first synthetic hockey turf stadium coming up in Pulwama
The stadium is being constructed at Government Boys Higher Secondary School Pulwama as part of Jammu and Kashmir’s sports facility expansion plan.
In southern Kashmir valley’s Pulwama district, the first-of-its-kind synthetic hockey turf stadium in the Kashmir division is being built.
The stadium is being built at Government Boys Higher Secondary School Pulwama at a cost of Rs 5 crore as part of Jammu and Kashmir’s augmentation of sports facilities plan.
District Sports Officer Pulwama calls it ‘first-of-its-kind’ stadium
According to Pulwama’s District Youth Services and Sports Officer Syed Noor-ul-Haq, this would be an international level stadium with dimensions of 102×62 metres and is anticipated to be completed by October 15.
While talking to media persons, he stated that there are hundreds of young people in Kashmir who are interested in hockey, but they have been unable to demonstrate their skill due to a lack of a stadium; however, now that the stadium is accessible, youth could play hockey.
According to Haq, this would be the first stadium of its kind in Kashmir, and the infrastructure will encourage young people to participate in sports.
‘Major initiative to keep youth away from drugs’
“Our major goal is to keep our young generation involved in sporting activities,” the Sports Officer said, adding that additional infrastructure is being created to assist keep them away from drugs.
Calling the hockey stadium a ‘major initiative’, he stated that after the stadium is built, they would host a state-level competition, followed by a national-level tournament, so that local children may gain exposure to the game.
He went on to say that international players would likely play hockey here since the stadium will be of international level, and a few structures will be built nearby for the players’ night stays.
Hockey players ecstatic over the development; Call it a miracle
Shariq Yousuf, a hockey player, while talking to Digpu News stated that they had been waiting for a hockey stadium for years and that having an international level stadium in Pulwama is nothing less than a ‘miracle’.
He went on to say that a stadium was a basic requirement for the growth of hockey at the grassroots level and that the LG Government should be commended for providing such a facility.
Sports infrastructure being improved to encourage participation in sports: J-K’s Chief Secretary
On Friday, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, the J-K’s Chief Secretary, convened a meeting to assess the Youth Services and Sports Department’s operations.
It was revealed that the Department is hosting a variety of athletic events and implementing a number of infrastructure projects across Jammu and Kashmir in order to develop a sports culture in the Union territory.
The Department has been requested to place a special emphasis on providing adequate training and mentoring to aspiring athletes and players, allowing UT’s children to participate in more national and international competitions.
