Khelo India to fund J&K schools competition

The project will feature competitions across 199 zones, with each zone fielding 18 teams, including six girls teams. The players will be in the age group of 8 to 19 years.

The State level competition will be inaugurated by both the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti and the Union Sports Minister, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The Union Sports Ministry has sanctioned 6.50 crore rupees for a State-wide grassroots level football event in Jammu and Kashmir, as part of the Khelo India drive.

‘’It is the time of Khelna and Khilna (play and blossom) for J&K youth. We are sure to find our future football stars with this exercise. These matches will turn the focus from Goli to Goal’’, said the Union Sports Minister, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

The project will feature competitions across 199 zones, with each zone fielding 18 teams, including six girls teams. The players will be in the age group of 8 to 19 years.

At the zonal level, the tournament will have 60,000 children, and when it moves to the district level, with six teams from each zone making the cut, it will feature 2000 children. Four teams from each district will qualify for the State level competition, featuring approximately 1500 children.

The financial support from the government will help in the technical conduct of the event, procurement of equipment, kitting, and token prize money.

The tournament is scheduled to be inaugurated by the State Sports Minister Imran Raza Ansari on Wednesday.

The State level competition will be inaugurated by both the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti and the Union Sports Minister, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.