Onlykashmir.in News Desk
National Sports Day was celebrated with enthusiasm across Kashmir on Saturday, with a range of sporting and fitness activities organised at SKUAST-K, NIT Srinagar, Anantnag and Shopian to promote healthy and active lifestyles among youth, commemorating the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
At the Sher-i-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology Kashmir, the day was marked at the Shalimar Campus under the theme “Ek Ghanta Maidan Mein.” Dean Students Welfare Prof. S. A. Gangoo encouraged students to devote at least one hour daily to sports and physical activity. Volleyball and tug of war competitions were held between teams from the Faculty of Horticulture and the Faculty of Agricultural Engineering, with Horticulture winning the volleyball contest while Agricultural Engineering emerged victorious in tug of war.
At NIT Srinagar, a three day sporting event titled “Khele Ga Bharat, Jeete Ga Bharat” that began on August 28 continued through the weekend and is set to conclude on August 30, drawing sustained participation from students and staff across the campus.
In Anantnag, National Sports Day activities were organised across all twelve zones of the Department of Youth Services and Sports, with as many as 21,828 boys and girls taking part in various sports and fitness activities, reflecting one of the larger district level turnouts for the observance in south Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Inter District Divisional Level U-17 Girls Table Tennis Championship concluded at the Indoor Sports Stadium in Shopian, with around 50 players from all ten districts of Kashmir taking part in the tournament. Srinagar won the final against Budgam to claim the title, with Budgam finishing second and host district Shopian securing third place. PEM Shopian Altaf Hussain Malik highlighted the importance of sports in promoting fitness, discipline and a healthy lifestyle, and encouraged young players to pursue their sporting goals with dedication and sportsmanship.
National Sports Day is observed every year on August 29 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Major Dhyan Chand, whose contribution to Indian hockey continues to inspire generations of sportspersons. The coordinated activities across SKUAST-K, NIT Srinagar, Anantnag and Shopian this year underline the growing institutional push behind sports participation in the Valley, spanning university campuses, technical institutes, district level fitness drives and competitive tournaments for young athletes, and reflect the wider Fit India Movement’s emphasis on making regular physical activity part of everyday life for students and youth across Jammu and Kashmir.
