Jammu, February 09 (Scoop News) – Minister for Medical Education, Technical Education, Youth Services & Sports R.S. Chib last evening chaired a high level joint meeting of officers of line departments convened to finalize the arrangements for conduct of Jammu Premier League (JPL) T-20 tournament commencing from February 10 here.
The Minister said that the tournament is a joint venture of Department of Youth Services and Sports, J&K State Sports Council, Jammu & Kashmir Cricket Association and Army. Chib expressed his special gratitude to Lt. Gen. Nandal, GoC 16 Corps for their full support to this tournament under their Sadhbhavana Scheme. He said the event will be conducted on a grand scale in which premier cricket clubs from across the Jammu region would participate. He added that the League will be played at the District level under Phase-I and after that the qualifying teams would participate in the Phase-II of the League matches. He directed the committees constituted at district level for effective and successful conduct of the event.
Chib said the objective of holding such a mega event is to give fillip to sport activities, particularly in rural and far-off pockets of the state. He said the event would be made a regular feature now for exploiting the unexplored sports potential in the rural areas. He said the government, under the stewardship of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, was keen to upgrade the sports infrastructure for promotio sports activities in the state.
Referring to successful conduct of Kashmir Premier League in Kashmir Division last year, the Minister said that the same analogy would be adopted in present tournament. He said like from Kashmir division, outstanding selected cricketers would also be sponsored for advanced training outside the state. He said the Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Ajay Makan appreciated the state government for organizing such mega sports events to facilitate sportsperson talent haunt in the state.
Director, Youth Services & Sports, Jaipal Singh apprised the meeting that all necessary arrangements have been made for successful conduct of the event. As many as 150 teams of 10 districts of Jammu Division are expected to participate in the tournament, he said.
Among others, Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Dr. Pawan Kotwal, Commissioner Secretary, Technical Education, Youth Services & Sports, B.A. Runiyal, Joint Director, Youth Services & Sports, Madan Lal, representative 16 Corps Brig. Sandeep Rawat, Chief Education Officer, Jammu Natha Ram, SSPs Prabhat Singh and J S Johar, Personnel officer to Director School Education Dr. Nirupama Rai, Deputy Directors, Youth Services & Sports Ashok Kumar and S.S. Bali, member, BCCI and representative JKCA Ranjeet Kalra, besides District sports officers of Jammu Division were present in the meeting.