Srinagar, Aug 10 (JKNS): Commissioner/Secretary Youth Services and Sports, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, IAS, on Monday said the Jammu and Kashmir Government is working towards creating a strong sports ecosystem and taking the region’s athletes “from the playground to the podium,” while ensuring support for every talented sportsperson with international potential.
Speaking during the Special Cash Award Ceremony honouring outstanding sportspersons at SKICC Srinagar, Shahid Iqbal, as per news agency JKNS, said the government’s sports policy provides significant incentives for athletes who excel at national and international competitions.
He said the policy provides cash incentives of ₹1 crore for Olympic medals and ₹50 lakh for medals won at the Asian Games, besides incentives for achievements at other national and international levels.
Shahid said more than ₹280 crore is being invested towards strengthening the sports ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, including around ₹250 crore for sports infrastructure and ₹20 crore for athlete and team development.
He said Jammu and Kashmir has exceptional geographical advantages that support a wide range of sporting disciplines, including winter sports, water sports, athletics and mountaineering.
He also highlighted the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence and said significant investments are being made to provide better opportunities and facilities to the youth.
Outlining the government’s sports strategy, Shahid said one of the key priorities is to integrate sports with education so that sporting talent can be identified among schoolchildren at an early stage and provided opportunities for further development.
He said the government also aims to turn sports into a mass movement by encouraging greater public participation and strengthening the social and economic dimensions of sports, while creating pathways for athletes to compete at international levels.
Shahid said the focus of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council would extend from infrastructure development to comprehensive athlete development.
He said the government’s vision is to ensure that every child, student and athlete with the potential to compete at the international level receives the required infrastructure, training, financial assistance and other forms of support.
“We want every child, every student and every athlete who has the potential to reach the international level to receive the support, infrastructure, training and financial assistance required to achieve that goal,” he said.
He also welcomed the sportspersons, awardees, students, young athletes and other participants attending the ceremony and thanked the Chief Minister for his support towards promoting sports in Jammu and Kashmir. (JKNS)
