Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday told hundreds of gathered sportspersons that the government’s special cash award scheme, worth an estimated ₹280 crore in overall commitment, marks only the beginning of a broader push to support athletic talent across Jammu and Kashmir with better infrastructure, coaching, training and equipment.
Addressing the Special Cash Award Ceremony at SKICC Srinagar, where 580 sportspersons received honours, the Chief Minister said the government’s goal was to ensure athletes no longer have to personally struggle to arrange resources for coaching, training, equipment or travel. “This award is just the beginning. We are trying to encourage you, and we will try our best to help you in every way possible,” he told the gathering.
Omar Abdullah acknowledged that the government bears direct responsibility for the success or otherwise of the Union Territory’s sportspersons, noting that athletes perform better when given proper facilities and consistent institutional backing. He was candid about the gaps that remain, pointing specifically to a shortage of synthetic tracks, indoor training facilities and international-standard infrastructure, and stressed the need to build these out at the district level rather than concentrating them in a handful of cities.
The Chief Minister singled out Jammu and Kashmir’s high-altitude geography as an underused asset, suggesting it could be leveraged to build specialised high-altitude training centres that would give local athletes a competitive edge in endurance-based disciplines. He called for a deliberate balance between traditional strengths like cricket and emerging disciplines including martial arts, cycling, mountain biking, BMX, skateboarding, gymnastics and roller sports, noting that athletes in these newer categories have already shown considerable promise on the national stage.
Linking sport to public health, Omar Abdullah stressed that keeping young people away from drug abuse cannot be treated as a one-day campaign, and said sustained sporting activity combined with stronger infrastructure was essential to keeping youth meaningfully engaged over the long term. He thanked sportspersons and sports icons present for backing the government’s anti-drug and anti-doping campaign, adding that the initiative would now be extended into schools to promote clean and fair competition among younger athletes.
Closing his remarks, the Chief Minister congratulated all 580 award recipients and expressed hope that they would go on to bring further laurels to their families, to Jammu and Kashmir, and to the country as a whole.
