KATHUA, JULY 25: Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rajesh Sharma today inaugurated the District Badminton Tournament at the Indoor Sports Stadium, Kathua, organised by the District Administration under the Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan to promote a healthy and drug-free lifestyle among youth.
Over 200 players are participating across Under-14, Under-19, Men’s, Women’s and Veteran singles categories, while 58 teams are competing in various doubles events.
Interacting with the players, the Deputy Commissioner urged them to adopt sports as a way of life and stay away from substance abuse. He stressed optimum utilisation of the Indoor Sports Stadium and called for responsible use of sports infrastructure and public assets.
The Deputy Commissioner said the District Administration will organise badminton and other sporting events regularly to provide competitive exposure to local talent and encourage greater youth participation. He added that the existing sports infrastructure requires upgradation and informed that the matter has already been taken up with the higher authorities.
He reiterated that under the Nasha Mukt Jammu & Kashmir Abhiyan, the District Administration is continuously organising sports and youth engagement activities to channelise the energy of young people towards constructive pursuits and build a drug-free society.
Among those present were Chief Planning Officer Ranjeet Thakur, Chief Medical Officer Dr Vijay Raina, Assistant Director Fisheries Pawan Kumar and District Information Officer Gurpreet Singh.
Earlier, Assistant Director Fisheries Pawan Kumar, who is also Chairman of the Sub-Committee for Management of the Indoor Sports Stadium, informed that the championship has received an enthusiastic response from players across different age groups and categories.
On the opening day, matches in the Under-14, Under-19 and Senior categories for both boys/men and girls/women were conducted amid keen competition. The participants displayed impressive skill, discipline and sportsmanship.
