Pulwama, May 1 (JKNS): The inaugural Pulwama Kabaddi League was officially flagged off today at Pulwama Cricket Stadium. Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Commissioner/Secretary for Youth Services and Sports, Jammu and Kashmir, inaugurated the event before senior legislators, officials, and a large gathering of players and spectators.
The three-day open-category tournament runs from May 1 to 3, 2026, and fields eight teams representing 96 athletes drawn from across the Kashmir Division.
The opening ceremony drew strong cross-party representation. Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, MLA Pulwama and Hasnain Masoodi, MLA Pampore, were among the dignitaries present, as was the Secretary of the J&K Sports Council. Their attendance signals the broad institutional and political will behind the initiative.
Adding vibrancy to the inaugural ceremony, a band performance by Solace School enthralled the audience and set an energetic tone for the tournament, drawing enthusiastic applause from spectators.
Inaugurating the league, Dr. Choudhary framed sport as a tool of social transformation. He called on participants to become ambassadors of the Nasha-Mukt Jammu and Kashmir Abhiyan, the UT-wide anti-drug campaign under whose mandate the league has been launched, and urged them to carry its message beyond the arena.
“Sport is not merely competition; it is a powerful instrument of social transformation. Through these structured engagements, we aim to channel the energies of our youth into constructive pursuits, fostering discipline, resilience, and a drug-free lifestyle.”
Dr. Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, Commissioner/Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, J&K
The field includes Pulwama Panthers, Midline J&K, Harmokh Warriors (Bandipora), AR Warriors (Bandipora), United Kashmir (Baramulla), AKC Budgam, Kulgam Tigers, and representatives from additional districts.
The open-age format is deliberate: it places experienced players alongside emerging talent, raises the competitive standard at the district level, and gives younger athletes direct exposure to structured kabaddi.
The league has been conceptualised and executed by Aamir Wani of Dadoora, Pulwama. Attendees at the inauguration acknowledged his sustained effort in building the tournament from the ground up. Wani earned selection in Pro Kabaddi League Season 11 at a base price of Rs. 9 lakh, a professional credential that lends direct credibility to the grassroots pathway he is now creating for others.
The Pulwama Kabaddi League is the flagship event of a broader campaign by the J&K Sports Council across the Kashmir Division. A volleyball tournament is planned for Shopian, a football league for Anantnag, and a series of women-oriented leagues is under development. The Council has framed this as a long-term commitment to structured youth engagement, not a one-off exercise. (JKNS)