Jammu Aug 9 (JKNS): The ‘Academies of Excellence’ launched by the Directorate of Youth Services & Sports (DYSS) are witnessing an overwhelming response from young sports enthusiasts, with hundreds of players coming forward to register across disciplines following the recent opening of enrollment.
Led by Director General Anuradha Gupta, the flagship initiative at the Nagrota Excellence Academies by Directorate of Youth Services and Sports which began operations last month with dedicated Football and Kabaddi Centers has sparked immense interest among aspiring athletes across the region.
This transformative initiative marks a major leap in the DYSS mission to spot, nurture, and hone high potential athletic talent by offering professional coaching, scientific training methodologies, and state of the art infrastructure.
The academies aim to build a robust talent pipeline capable of producing national and international champions from the Union Territory.
The rapid influx of registrations reflects the booming sports culture and reinforces the commitment of DYSS to providing structured pathways for youth. Over 400 young boys and girls participated in the initial selection trials alone, and numbers continue to climb steadily as registration expands.
“The response to the Academies of Excellence demonstrates the deep passion and untapped talent among our youth. By pairing world class facilities with seasoned mentorship,, DYSS is ensuring these registered players receive the exact training, scientific approach, and platform required to compete at the highest levels,” stated DG YSS.
The operational centers at the Nagrota Excellence Academies by Directorate of Youth Services and Sports feature an international standard Football AstroTurf ground and a Multipurpose Indoor Hall.
The Football Academy functions under the mentorship of former International Footballer and ex-AIFF Technical Committee Member Arun Malhotra, with hands-on training executed by coach Rohit Gupta.
The Kabaddi Academy operations are guided under the supervision of Sanjeet Sharma, ensuring a transparent, performance-focused environment.
To guarantee sustainable growth, DYSS has assigned elite coaches to lead athlete training while simultaneously running “Train the Trainer” programmes to upgrade the technical skill sets of local Physical Education Teachers (PETs), Physical Education Masters (PEMs), and UT based sports professionals.
Building on this enthusiasm, DYSS is expanding the model to seven additional disciplines, including Hockey, Athletics, Wrestling, Taekwondo, Badminton, Fencing, and other priority regional sports. Furthermore, DYSS is preparing to establish identical Academies of Excellence in Srinagar, ensuring balanced, high-tier infrastructure and equal opportunities for talented youth across both divisions.
With players turning out in record numbers to register, DYSS continues to accelerate its vision of transforming the region into one of the country’s premier sports powerhouses. (JKNS)
