Jammu July 10: In a significant stride towards promoting youth sports and holistic development, the Director General of Youth Services and Sports (YSS) J&K, Anuradha Gupta, chaired a preliminary high-level meeting to discuss preparations for the 69th National School Games, set to be hosted in the Union Territory.
The meeting, attended by Joint Directors Vinakshi Koul and Abdul Rashid Kohli, Deputy Director Jitender Mishra, District Youth Services and Sports Officers, and section heads, focused on crucial aspects including finalization of dates, venue identification, technical committee formation, equipment procurement, and boarding and lodging arrangements for athletes and officials.
Jammu and Kashmir will proudly host four prestigious disciplines of the National School Games: Football (U-19 Boys) and Wushu (U-17 Boys & Girls) in Srinagar, while Taekwondo (U-19 Boys & Girls) and Table Tennis (U-19 Boys & Girls) will be conducted in Jammu.
Encouraging a professional and organized approach, DG Anuradha Gupta urged all stakeholders to set benchmarks in event execution, ensuring a seamless experience for participants from across the nation. She emphasized the importance of timely identification of venues and lodging centres to ensure readiness and smooth logistics, both for hosting and for team preparation.
Highlighting the significance of athlete development, she stressed on long-duration coaching camps with expert trainers, standard equipment, and performance-focused strategies to improve results and boost the medal tally of J&K at the national level.
“Let this event not only be a platform to compete but an opportunity to inspire. We must make extraordinary efforts to enhance the performance of our teams and create an environment where youth can grow into champions,” she added.
In a move that links sports with sustainability and well-being, DG-YSS also announced a massive plantation drive themed “Plants for Nutrition”. Under this initiative, each district is encouraged to plant at least 1,000 trees, with focus on nutritional species such as amla, moringa, summer apple, and other local fruit-bearing trees. She called for active involvement of school children and Physical Education staff, urging them to adopt and nurture the plants as part of a deeper environmental and personal commitment.
“You have to develop youth holistically,” said Anuradha Gupta. “Apart from providing them platforms in sports, we must instill healthy lifestyle habits and create an environment that makes them not just players, but ambassadors of health, fitness, and nutrition.”
As the countdown to the 69th National School Games begins, Jammu and Kashmir stands poised to not only host the nation’s best school athletes, but also to set new standards in sportsmanship, organization, and youth empowerment.
