KATHUA, SEPTEMBER 21: Hiranagar Football Club (FC) emerged victorious in the maiden Kathua Football League-2026, defeating Kick Off Seniors 3-2 in an exciting final played at the Sports Ground, Government Degree College Kathua today.
The closely contested finale witnessed an impressive display of skill, determination and sportsmanship by both teams. Hiranagar FC found the net through Rohit Singh, Aniket Singh and Atul Verma, while Kick Off Seniors scored through Rohit Singh Jasrotia and Jatinder Singh.
Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Sharma was the Chief Guest at the concluding ceremony and felicitated the participating players. CPO Ranjeet Thakur; ACD Gulshan Kumar; DIO Gurpreet Singh; PO Arun and other concerned officials were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner said that the Kathua Football League was conceived as an effort to provide young and budding footballers with a meaningful platform to showcase their talent, compete at a higher level and develop discipline, teamwork and sports spirit.
He said that engaging youth in sports activities is an important part of the administration’s efforts under the Nasha Mukt Jammu Kashmir Abhiyan to channelise their energy positively and encourage them to adopt healthy and productive lifestyles. He appreciated the enthusiasm and participation of all the teams and players and expressed hope that such sporting opportunities would help nurture local talent and inspire more youngsters to take up sports.
The Deputy Commissioner also congratulated Hiranagar FC for winning the inaugural edition and appreciated Kick Off Seniors for their spirited performance in the final.
The players and teams were recognised for their performances during the tournament. Medals were presented to the players of both the winning and runner-up teams, while trophies were also presented to Hiranagar FC and Kick Off Seniors.
Individual awards were presented to Lalit Jamwal, who was adjudged the Best Player as well as Player of the Match. Rohit Singh won the Golden Boot award, while Dheeraj Singh was awarded the Golden Glove for his outstanding goalkeeping performance.
The participating players expressed their appreciation to the District Administration for organising the league and providing them with an opportunity to compete, showcase their talent and remain engaged in constructive sporting activities.
The successful conduct of the league marked another initiative by the District Administration to promote sports among youth and strengthen the message of a healthy, active and drug-free lifestyle.
