Onlykashmir.in News Desk
A 22-year-old athlete from Baramulla, Ibadat Wali, has become the first athlete from North Kashmir to complete a solo 119-kilometre run, covering the gruelling distance from Lal Chowk in Anantnag to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Baramulla in 10 hours and 55 minutes, an achievement being hailed as a milestone for endurance sport in the region.
The run was undertaken to carry forward the message of the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan, the Union Territory’s flagship campaign against drug abuse, encouraging especially the youth to steer clear of substance use and adopt a healthy, disciplined and physically active lifestyle instead. By choosing an ultra-distance solo run rather than a conventional awareness event, Ibadat’s effort drew attention to the campaign through sheer physical demonstration, covering nearly the length of the Kashmir Valley’s key urban corridor in under eleven hours.
On his arrival at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office premises, Additional District Development Commissioner Baramulla, Pranjal J. Hazarika, personally received the athlete and congratulated him on the achievement. The ADDC lauded Ibadat’s determination and commended his efforts in using sport as a vehicle for promoting the cause of a drug-free society, noting that such feats carry a symbolic weight beyond the athletic accomplishment itself.
The ADDC further remarked that inspiring initiatives of this kind motivate young people to pursue fitness, resilience and positive values, while simultaneously reinforcing the broader message of the Nasha Mukt J&K Abhiyan among communities across the Union Territory. He urged the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to actively participate in sports and join the collective effort toward building a healthier, drug-free society, framing athletic achievement as both a personal and civic contribution.
Following the reception at the DC Office, former President of the Municipal Council Baramulla, Tauseef Raina, along with Ibadat’s coach, friends and family members, felicitated the athlete in recognition of his achievement. The felicitation underscored the community support that had backed Ibadat through the demanding run, and reflected wider appreciation for his effort to weave a public health message into an individual sporting milestone.
The achievement adds to a growing body of grassroots initiatives across Kashmir that are using sport, endurance challenges and youth-led campaigns to reinforce the administration’s anti-narcotics messaging, at a time when authorities across the Valley have intensified both enforcement action and awareness efforts against drug abuse.
